


The Story of Tonight

by hamilgorl



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens Fluff, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Alexander Hamilton, College, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Gay John Laurens, Hamilton References, Human Disaster Alexander Hamilton, Inspired by Hamilton, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 27,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28174809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamilgorl/pseuds/hamilgorl
Summary: John Laurens and his friends go to Columbia University and meet Alex Hamilton, little did they know their lives would be intertwined forever...(Very basic, Hamilton College modern AU, told from multiple POVs but centers around John and Alex's relationship)
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan, Maria Reynolds/Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler, Thomas Jefferson/James Madison
Comments: 15
Kudos: 24





	1. The New Beginning

(Johns POV)

Pulling into the student parking lot I'm hit with a wave of excitement

I pull my keys out of the ignition and text the Group chat

The place to be chat

TrtlBoi: Yo, just pulled into the parking lot. Where are you? 

Peggers: We're 5 minutes, away meet us at the admissions office

HErC: Laf is driving soooo slow, ill text yall when we're near

TrtlBoi: see ya there

I've known the Schyulers almost my whole life.

Peggy is a year younger than me, but she skipped first grade, so we ended up in the same 2nd-grade class. When I kissed my crush, a boy named Francis, under the slide, the whole class found out and started bullying me for it. Peggy, being her fearless self, came to my rescue. That night she invited me over for a sleepover, after that her sisters, Angelica and Eliza, quickly became like sisters to me. I introduced them to Teenage mutant Ninja Turtles, and that night we each assigned eachother which turtle we were. (Peggy was Michelangelo, Angelica was Rafael, Eliza was Donatello, and I was Leonardo. In middle school, we all vowed we would go to college together and be dormies. Unfortunately, Columbia(Like most colleges) doesn't allow Co-ed roommates.

"Jacky!!!!" I turn around to see Peggy yelling my name. I let out an embarrassing yelp of happiness as I run towards her.

"Gah, I missed you way too much!!!!" I squeal as I jump into her arms, knocking her over. We fall to the floor giggling and hugging

"Excuse me? Forgetting about someone?" Angelica calls out sarcastically.

I reach out to grab Angie's hand so that she can pull me up. "Of course, I'm happy to see the both of you too," I say as I hug Angie and Eliza

"but I saw you two yesterday and I haven't seen this one for three months" I say gesturing to Peggy

"It's not our fault she abandoned us to go gallivanting around with some mysterious suitress all summer" Eliza mocks as she sticks her tongue out at Peggy

"First of all that mysterious suitress has a name, and it's Maria, but that's a topic for later. I am way too excited about finally living on our own, lets get to our dorms, then I can tell you all about the crazy romantic summer I had with Maria" Peggy smirks

"Fine, but I can't hang out tonight. Tomorrows our first day of classes and I want to get to know my roommate tonight" I respond

"Ooh what if it's a cute foreign boy?" Eliza teases as she links arms with me leading me to the front desk.

We all get our dorm numbers and keys

The sisters have room 205, only two rooms down from me in 203.

We race up the stairs to go find our rooms. I let them know I'll come find them later once I've met my roommate.

I have a good feeling about this year.

(Hiii ya'll, this is the first chapter I've ever published and I'm actually pretty excited about the ideas I have for this story. I'm totally down for some constructive criticism and/or plot suggestions if you've got em.)


	2. The Roommate

Entering the room I notice the sizable difference between this place and my room in Charleston. My room back home is much bigger than this one that I'll have to share with another person. I don't mind the noticeable downsize in part due to how charming the room is with its mahogany framed french windows on the north side of the room and two matching beds pushed against east and west walls. The other reason being I'm excited to have a roommate had to a roommate was when my brother would get scared at night and sneak into my room for comfort. 

I hurry over to the french windows, wanting to let in the late summer air that always reminds me of home. When I toss my suitcase onto the eastside bed I hear a small grunt noise come from the blankets. I turn to realize there was a man sitting on the bed the whole time. He seems to be only a little below average height but has a very small presence about him like he's curled up trying not to be noticed

"Sorry, I didn't hear you come in," He says rubbing his knee where my suitcase hit him.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't see you or your stuff..." I look around the room to realize besides the book he has been reading since I came in, the only luggage he has with him is a backpack of clothes and a satchel full of school supplies. Not wanting to embarrass him I quickly changed the subject. "I'm John, John Laurens" I introduce myself while dragging one of my suitcases off of his bed

"I'm Alex, Alexander Hamilton" He speaks in an accent unrecognizable to me, its sweet and bouncy

"Are you from around here, Alex?" I ask turning around to unpack my clothes

"No, I'm from Nevis"

"I've never heard of it," I ask trying not to overstep

"Its a small island in the Caribbean" He explains "Where are you from?" 

"Charleston, South Carolina" I smile remembering the people I was able to bring with me "You got any friends here, yet?" I ask

"No, not yet" I turn around to see him stacking his books on his bedside table. I think he might have brought more books than clothes

"You read a lot, I take it?" I gesture to the evergrowing stack of books

"Yeah, mostly psychology, biographies, law... that sort of thing" he smiles like no one had ever asked him about it

"Law? Is that what you're studying here?" I ask with a hopeful tinge in my voice

"Yeah, you too?" He asks me allowing his voice to become hopeful

"Well no, but I do have a good friend whos studying law, I'll introduce you. She's a good friend to have"

"Thanks," He says with genuine gratitude in his voice "What are you studying?"

"Marine biology" I answer again smiling, this time remembering my love for sea life "Do you want to grab coffee? and talk some more?" I ask

"Yeah, definitely" he responds.

As he stands up to put on his shoes I realize how handsome he is. His small demeanor only adds to the roguish handsome look he has, with deep brown eyes and black hair, his skin is pale but even and creamy, he's a vision in... ripped black jeans. "I have some people to introduce you to first" I smile keenly leading him down the hall to the Schuyler dorm

"Knock knock" I shout through the door not actually pausing for a response

"Whos this?" "Is he your new roommate?" "He's cute"

The girls flood me with questions as we enter their room

"Introducing, Alexander Hamilton of Nevis, my new roommate" I smile making a grand gesture to Alex who was standing cautiously beside me

"Hi... I'm.. um," Alex starts stammering nervously "Well, I am... I like to" being the caretaker she is, Eliza jumps into action

"Calm down, deep breath in... and out. We're John's friends, and if you haven't noticed John is super weird and so are we. Nothing you could say is going to make us think you're too weird for us" Alex relaxes at this and tries again

"Okay, sorry about that. I'm Alex, I moved here two years ago. I'm studying law and I like to read..? Is that a better introduction? I'm not great at the whole socialization thing"

"You did great" Eliza smiles before being half pushed out of the way by Angelica

"Did you say Law???"

"Um, yeah" Alex responds retracting into his turtle shell of shyness

"Okay, so" Angelica claps her hands together "My name's Angelica, Im the oldest of the Schuyler sisters. I'm a junior and I'm studying to be a civil rights lawyer, so if you have any questions about any of your teachers or assignments I've been there and done that, feel free to ask me. Fun fact: I also don't like people" Angelica smiles over her glasses down at Alex she beats out in height by 5 inches.

"You're so weird Angie" Peggy chimes in, pushing her way in front of Angie. "I'm Peggy, I'm the youngest, I'm also a freshman, and I'm studying Art. Heads up, I would pretty much kill anyone who hurts the people I love... that includes you" For a 5'2" freshman, Peggy's menacing stare is very intimidating

"That's a bit intense for a first introduction" Eliza scoots back to first position "I'm Eliza, I'm the middle of the three, I want to be a middle school English teacher, and I'm a dancer."

Just as I thought introductions were wrapping up I heard a deep french accent come from the door

"We're here mon amis" I turn around to see Lafayette and Hercules standing in the doorway with their things

"Laf, Herc!!" Peggy runs to them, embracing them in her short arms that most certainly did not fit around them

"Whos the new kid?" Herc asks skeptically

"I'm Alex, I'm John's new roommate." As Alex speaks I turn to Eliza who has the same shocked expression as me which means she heard it too. Alex speaking in full sentences when minutes ago he was too shy to even say his name without stuttering

"Sounds like it's our turn to introduce ourselves, ouí?" Laf asks not actually waiting for a response "Im, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. But you can call me Lafayette. I'm studying marketing... which makes me sound like a total tete de noeud... er, um dickhead, but I swear I'm not" he laughs

I met Lafayette when I was 12 years old and my family went on a vacation to Paris. While my mom was setting up a picnic I ran down to the river to try and find turtles (spoiler alert, I didn't find any) I knelt down when a bike whizzed past me, scaring me enough that i fell into the river. I knew that rivers had currents and I didn't want to get sucked away, which made me panic as I splashed around and began to cry, just as my feet grazed the ground and I realized I was standing in about 3 and a half feet of water. Then I heard another splash in the water, it was Lafayette who had jumped into come save me.

"Est-ce que ce va" He asked me when he realized I wasn't drowning in the kiddy pool of a river we were now standing in. I told him I don't speak french and tried to thank him for trying to save me and to my surprise he understood me perfectly. At that moment my father found me and was furious of course, but allowed me to invite Lafayette to have lunch with us in the park. We hit it off and I found out that he actually lived in Charleston, a few blocks away from me and he was here to visit his mom and dad. I didn't know this at the time but Lafayette's father died at war when he was only two weeks old, he never even got to meet him, and his mother died from cancer when he was six leaving him with his 20-year-old sister who had moved to South Carolina when she turned 18. He was there to visit their graves with his sister because it was the anniversary of their moms death.

Ever since then we've been inseparable, I introduced him to the Schuylers who loved him immediately... Except for Peggy. When we explained our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Fanclub to him, Peggy said he should be Splinter the eat, which made him cry. After that we stopped using our TMNT references since there were five of us, soon to be six but we didn't know that yet. Peggy also felt really bad and quickly made it up to him by painting him as a turtle. (Peggy's always been quite the artist)

We met Herc two years later when we started High school. Lafayette met him at summer camp and claims it was love at first sight, they've been together ever since so it must be true. Hercules quickly found us a perfect replacement for our lost TMNT. Disney movies. We each chose our favorite characters and assigned each other the ones that match best. 

From then on it was the six of us everywhere we went.

"I'm Herc, I'm studying Fashion design, I'm a junior, and I'm dating the french fry," Herc says eliciting an eye roll and cheek kiss from Lafayette

"Okay, so that's everybody which means we can go," I say eager to get out and learn more about Alex, one on one

"Not so fast," Angelica starts "This Friday, mandatory group hang to introduce Alex to the group and yall freshies into your new college groove"

"We'll be there" Alex smiled a deep grin sending waves of happiness through my system

"Okay now can we go?" I ask impatiently

"Yes you're free" Angie sighs in mock disappointment (An art which we were all fluent)

"Go ahead, Abandon your only friends" Eliza calls after us as we run out the door


	3. The Dorky Group

(Alex's POV)

It's Friday afternoon and I just got home from my last class for the week. My classes start at 7 and end at 12 whereas Johns usually start at 10 and end at 1. I glance at the clock, it's 12:24, only a little more than a half-hour until john gets out of class.

I don't think I've ever been so excited to see someone after a day of work. I usually do my schoolwork into the late hours of the night without a single distraction but for some reason, just the thought of getting to see John's face gives me butterflies. Since I met john and all his friends on Sunday, I've spent the afternoons watching movies with john, grabbing coffee with Laf and Herc, getting makeovers courtesy of Eliza (and mockery from Peggy), and studying for our law classes with Angelica. I really like this group, and my first real group hangout is tonight...

My instinct tells me to be nervous, but I just feel so comfortable with them that It doesn't scare me a fraction of what hanging out with anyone else would.

I have to admit that out of all the activities I've been participating in recently, my favorite is the alone time I get with john. On Wednesday night we stayed up late talking about our lives. I learned that his mother passed away when he was sixteen, he told me he still misses her every day, I understand why. It seems like she was an exceptional mother and I understand what it's like to lose a parent. We talked about what my childhood was like in the Caribbean, how my father left when I was little, the hurricane, my mother's death, and my cousin's suicide... we also talked about the good times. Like when I discovered my love for reading and writing, and the generosity I experienced from the people of Nevis when I needed it most. How they helped raise money so that I could go to America and start a new life. I told him about how I want to start my own law firm and a charity to benefit the people of the Caribbean, including Nevis, and other impoverished islands like it.

I feel that somehow, even though I've only known him a week, john knows me better than anyone else... The last person I let in, was my cousin but he's, ya know... not around anymore. Ever since then I've kept my head down and focused on my studies. There's just something about John that's irresistibly charismatic.

(Johns POV)

When I enter our dorm, I see Alex where he always is when I come home. At his desk curled up behind his laptop, typing away at this or that essay. He never hears me come in, I'm not sure if I'm that light on my feet or if he's just so sucked into his work that all he can hear are his thoughts.

He has his feet tucked up under him and his hair in a messy bun atop his head, god he's so cute. I sigh, imagining what it would be like to kiss him right now

"John? I didn't hear you come in" Alex says smiling "You should start announcing yourself, or maybe we can put a bell on the door" he stands up and walks over to me leaning on the kitchen counter. Could he tell I was staring at him? I've only known him for a week, he's going to think I'm a huge creep  
"So is there a dress code for this group hangout thing?" He questions

"Yeah, actually. We decided it's gonna be a pajama thing so if you've got any fun pajamas that... Would... work" I start trailing off, as I stare at his lips longingly. Snap out of it John, come on! I scold myself (in my head of course)

"So, what pajamas do you have?" I ask

(Alex's POV)

"I just wear boxers and this sweatshirt to bed but I don't really think that's the kind of PJs you meant" I respond timidly

"No, not exactly" John laughs

"Here, I'll let you wear one of my onesies tonight. But this weekend we're going shopping and I'm buying you your own onesie." he is digging through the one suitcase he hasn't unpacked yet, as he pulls out a turtle onesie which he throws on his bed and a lion onesie that he throws to me.

"It suits you. you're a very lion-Esque guy" he winked

Before I even have time to process what that wink might have meant he starts stripping off his shirt. I instinctively spin around to face the wall and give him his privacy but I feel his strong hand on my shoulder turning me back around to face what I can only assume will be a shirtless John Laurens... oh god, a shirtless John Laurens. Just the thought makes my mouth water and my face heat up from embarrassment.

"Alex, I'm wearing a tank top"

I open my eyes to see him standing in his undershirt and joggers, I sigh in relief.

"Wow, how flattering. Just the thought of seeing me shirtless seems to have disgusted you" he chuckles

"No, God no! That's not why I um, turned around or sighed or... well, it's the opposite actually." I stammer

"Oh, the opposite? And what is the opposite of disgusted? Delighted?" he asks making a face of pure amusement

I've really dug myself into a hole now, I mean the truth is I would certainly not mind seeing him shirtless or more... I mean I know he works out and he's so cute, but I obviously can't tell him that.

"Alex, relax. I'm just giving you a hard time. It's cool." he says with such a sweet smile that it melts my heart to the core

"Oh, good. Because... yeah, good" Wow, still flustered. Pull it together Alex

"Besides if I do change out here, I'll give you ample warning, so you have time to bury your face in a book or something" He's so cute even when he's being cocky... I mean who am I kidding? especially when he's being cocky

(Time skip)

"Ready?" John asks

"Absolutely" and honestly, I'm more than ready. I have no idea what we're doing tonight but I'm excited to finally have a group of friends.

As John opens the door, I notice that the light is off

"What the hell...?" John whispers to me. We both chuckle

"Welcome Alexander" Angelica is standing in the center of the room with a flashlight shining under her chin, making her look like some sort of villain. John and I look at each other and immediately start laughing

Not only have I never really been a part of a friend group before, but I've also never met a group of people so outgoing and... what's the word? Dorky, definitely dorky.

"Okay, go ahead turn on the light" Angelica announces. John reaches for the light switch, when the light floods the room I can see everyone's smiling faces and pajama choices.

Eliza is wearing a baby blue silk pajama set with a matching robe, open to show off the cute tank and shorts, Angelica has on a mauve cotton pajama set, Peggy chose a Winnie the Pooh onesie, Herc and Laf are wearing matching Mike and Sully Onesies (from monsters Inc.) Laf has his head resting on Herc's shoulder, they're so cute together. I want that.

"Sorry about that, Angie insisted on it," Hercules says patting Lafs head

"Hey, this party needed some pizazz!" Angie retorts

John and I sit down on the only open seat, a beanbag chair

"You all know the game, 'Never have I ever'. Alex, you're the newbie so you can start" Peggy suggests holding her cup of unknown liquidd

"How exactly do you play? I've never really done the whole social gathering thing" I respond nervously

Peggy explains the rules, simple enough

Never have I ever Highlights:

Elizas Turn: Never have I ever slept with more than three people

*Herc clears his throat* "Three people at a time or just in general?"

Angelicas Turn: Never have I ever slept with the same sex

Peggys Turn: never have I ever slept with the opposite sex

Laf's Turn: Never have I ever lived in the same country my whole life

*Laf and Alex high five*

(Time Skip)

(Johns POV)

Laf and Herc went home about an hour ago, Eliza and Angelica went to bed 30 minutes ago, so Peggy, Alex, and I are the only ones left.

Earlier Herc found out that Alex only has a backpack full of clothes which was obviously disgraceful in his eyes, seeing as he's a fashion major. So, what I originally thought was going to be a quick stop to get a onesie with Alex turned into a full-blown shopping trip with the whole group so we can get Alex a new wardrobe.

Now the three of us who remained were discussing Peggy's adventurous summer with Maria.

"I've got to tell you, she is so cute, and I know deciding to run away with her was an impulse decision, but we really got to know each other over the summer and I seriously like her." Peggy coos with heart eyes

"awe pegs that's so sweet..." Alex's sentence gradually turns into a yawn.

As the night progressed the bean bag chair we were sitting on had begun to sag dragging us both into the center of it. Alex had been practically pulled to my side and now that he's curled up under a blanket, struggling to stay upright he's threatening to teeter over into my lap. A threat which I do not mind, a threat which I hope he keeps good on to be truthful.

"When do you get to see her next?" I ask trying to avert my attention back to Peggy

"Well, after we take Alex shopping tomorrow, I'm heading over to her dorm at Princeton. Her roommate is out of town visiting family, so we've got the place to ourselves. Wink Wink" Pegs and I are cracking up when suddenly Alex slumps over into my lap headfirst. I look at the clock which reads 2 AM

"It's getting late, I should probably get him back" I whisper to Peggy. She nods and gets up to open the door for me while I scoop Alex up in my arms and carry him out bridal style, but Peggy stops me at the door.

"You like him, don't you?"

She knows me far too well

"I do" I respond

"I like this for you" she whispers in my ear before kissing me on the cheek "Goodnight, John"

I wouldn't mind getting to hold him more often

"Thanks, Pegs"

It takes barely 30 seconds to walk back to our dorm

I lay him down in his bed and cover him with his blankets.

"Goodnight Alex" I kiss him on his forehead and get ready for bed


	4. The Girl in Red

(Alex's POV)

It's Friday afternoon and I just got home from my last class for the week. My classes start at 7 and end at 12 whereas Johns usually start at 10 and end at 1. I glance at the clock, it's 12:24, only a little more than a half-hour until john gets out of class.

I don't think I've ever been so excited to see someone after a day of work. I usually do my schoolwork into the late hours of the night without a single distraction but for some reason, just the thought of getting to see John's face gives me butterflies. Since I met john and all his friends on Sunday, I've spent the afternoons watching movies with john, grabbing coffee with Laf and Herc, getting makeovers courtesy of Eliza (and mockery from Peggy), and studying for our law classes with Angelica. I really like this group, and my first real group hangout is tonight...

My instinct tells me to be nervous, but I just feel so comfortable with them that It doesn't scare me a fraction of what hanging out with anyone else would.

I have to admit that out of all the activities I've been participating in recently, my favorite is the alone time I get with john. On Wednesday night we stayed up late talking about our lives. I learned that his mother passed away when he was sixteen, he told me he still misses her every day, I understand why. It seems like she was an exceptional mother and I understand what it's like to lose a parent. We talked about what my childhood was like in the Caribbean, how my father left when I was little, the hurricane, my mother's death, and my cousin's suicide... we also talked about the good times. Like when I discovered my love for reading and writing, and the generosity I experienced from the people of Nevis when I needed it most. How they helped raise money so that I could go to America and start a new life. I told him about how I want to start my own law firm and a charity to benefit the people of the Caribbean, including Nevis, and other impoverished islands like it.

I feel that somehow, even though I've only known him a week, john knows me better than anyone else... The last person I let in, was my cousin but he's, ya know... not around anymore. Ever since then I've kept my head down and focused on my studies. There's just something about John that's irresistibly charismatic.

(Johns POV)

When I enter our dorm, I see Alex where he always is when I come home. At his desk curled up behind his laptop, typing away at this or that essay. He never hears me come in, I'm not sure if I'm that light on my feet or if he's just so sucked into his work that all he can hear are his thoughts.

He has his feet tucked up under him and his hair in a messy bun atop his head, god he's so cute. I sigh, imagining what it would be like to kiss him right now

"John? I didn't hear you come in" Alex says smiling "You should start announcing yourself, or maybe we can put a bell on the door" he stands up and walks over to me leaning on the kitchen counter. Could he tell I was staring at him? I've only known him for a week, he's going to think I'm a huge creep  
"So is there a dress code for this group hangout thing?" He questions

"Yeah, actually. We decided it's gonna be a pajama thing so if you've got any fun pajamas that... Would... work" I start trailing off, as I stare at his lips longingly. Snap out of it John, come on! I scold myself (in my head of course)

"So, what pajamas do you have?" I ask

(Alex's POV)

"I just wear boxers and this sweatshirt to bed but I don't really think that's the kind of PJs you meant" I respond timidly

"No, not exactly" John laughs

"Here, I'll let you wear one of my onesies tonight. But this weekend we're going shopping and I'm buying you your own onesie." he is digging through the one suitcase he hasn't unpacked yet, as he pulls out a turtle onesie which he throws on his bed and a lion onesie that he throws to me.

"It suits you. you're a very lion-Esque guy" he winked

Before I even have time to process what that wink might have meant he starts stripping off his shirt. I instinctively spin around to face the wall and give him his privacy but I feel his strong hand on my shoulder turning me back around to face what I can only assume will be a shirtless John Laurens... oh god, a shirtless John Laurens. Just the thought makes my mouth water and my face heat up from embarrassment.

"Alex, I'm wearing a tank top"

I open my eyes to see him standing in his undershirt and joggers, I sigh in relief.

"Wow, how flattering. Just the thought of seeing me shirtless seems to have disgusted you" he chuckles

"No, God no! That's not why I um, turned around or sighed or... well, it's the opposite actually." I stammer

"Oh, the opposite? And what is the opposite of disgusted? Delighted?" he asks making a face of pure amusement

I've really dug myself into a hole now, I mean the truth is I would certainly not mind seeing him shirtless or more... I mean I know he works out and he's so cute, but I obviously can't tell him that.

"Alex, relax. I'm just giving you a hard time. It's cool." he says with such a sweet smile that it melts my heart to the core

"Oh, good. Because... yeah, good" Wow, still flustered. Pull it together Alex

"Besides if I do change out here, I'll give you ample warning, so you have time to bury your face in a book or something" He's so cute even when he's being cocky... I mean who am I kidding? especially when he's being cocky

(Time skip)

"Ready?" John asks

"Absolutely" and honestly, I'm more than ready. I have no idea what we're doing tonight but I'm excited to finally have a group of friends.

As John opens the door, I notice that the light is off

"What the hell...?" John whispers to me. We both chuckle

"Welcome Alexander" Angelica is standing in the center of the room with a flashlight shining under her chin, making her look like some sort of villain. John and I look at each other and immediately start laughing

Not only have I never really been a part of a friend group before, but I've also never met a group of people so outgoing and... what's the word? Dorky, definitely dorky.

"Okay, go ahead turn on the light" Angelica announces. John reaches for the light switch, when the light floods the room I can see everyone's smiling faces and pajama choices.

Eliza is wearing a baby blue silk pajama set with a matching robe, open to show off the cute tank and shorts, Angelica has on a mauve cotton pajama set, Peggy chose a Winnie the Pooh onesie, Herc and Laf are wearing matching Mike and Sully Onesies (from monsters Inc.) Laf has his head resting on Herc's shoulder, they're so cute together. I want that.

"Sorry about that, Angie insisted on it," Hercules says patting Lafs head

"Hey, this party needed some pizazz!" Angie retorts

John and I sit down on the only open seat, a beanbag chair

"You all know the game, 'Never have I ever'. Alex, you're the newbie so you can start" Peggy suggests holding her cup of unknown liquidd

"How exactly do you play? I've never really done the whole social gathering thing" I respond nervously

Peggy explains the rules, simple enough

Never have I ever Highlights:

Elizas Turn: Never have I ever slept with more than three people

*Herc clears his throat* "Three people at a time or just in general?"

Angelicas Turn: Never have I ever slept with the same sex

Peggys Turn: never have I ever slept with the opposite sex

Laf's Turn: Never have I ever lived in the same country my whole life

*Laf and Alex high five*

(Time Skip)

(Johns POV)

Laf and Herc went home about an hour ago, Eliza and Angelica went to bed 30 minutes ago, so Peggy, Alex, and I are the only ones left.

Earlier Herc found out that Alex only has a backpack full of clothes which was obviously disgraceful in his eyes, seeing as he's a fashion major. So, what I originally thought was going to be a quick stop to get a onesie with Alex turned into a full-blown shopping trip with the whole group so we can get Alex a new wardrobe.

Now the three of us who remained were discussing Peggy's adventurous summer with Maria.

"I've got to tell you, she is so cute, and I know deciding to run away with her was an impulse decision, but we really got to know each other over the summer and I seriously like her." Peggy coos with heart eyes

"awe pegs that's so sweet..." Alex's sentence gradually turns into a yawn.

As the night progressed the bean bag chair we were sitting on had begun to sag dragging us both into the center of it. Alex had been practically pulled to my side and now that he's curled up under a blanket, struggling to stay upright he's threatening to teeter over into my lap. A threat which I do not mind, a threat which I hope he keeps good on to be truthful.

"When do you get to see her next?" I ask trying to avert my attention back to Peggy

"Well, after we take Alex shopping tomorrow, I'm heading over to her dorm at Princeton. Her roommate is out of town visiting family, so we've got the place to ourselves. Wink Wink" Pegs and I are cracking up when suddenly Alex slumps over into my lap headfirst. I look at the clock which reads 2 AM

"It's getting late, I should probably get him back" I whisper to Peggy. She nods and gets up to open the door for me while I scoop Alex up in my arms and carry him out bridal style, but Peggy stops me at the door.

"You like him, don't you?"

She knows me far too well

"I do" I respond

"I like this for you" she whispers in my ear before kissing me on the cheek "Goodnight, John"

I wouldn't mind getting to hold him more often

"Thanks, Pegs"

It takes barely 30 seconds to walk back to our dorm

I lay him down in his bed and cover him with his blankets.

"Goodnight Alex" I kiss him on his forehead and get ready for bed


	5. The Espresso Bean

(Alex's POV)

"John are you ready to go?" I call out from the kitchen

"Unlike you, Mr. Hamilton, some of us care what we look like" he sings from the bathroom

Today Herc, Lafeyette, Peggy, Eliza, and john are taking me shopping at the local mall. Angelica has to stay behind, she has her first law exam on Monday, so she needs to study... Honestly, I'd rather be at home studying as well but If I want friends, I've got to at least attempt to be social. I mean, I don't think I've ever even been to an actual shopping mall. Most of the clothes I get come from secondhand stores, and I go to those secondhand stores alone.

"Okay, I'm ready" he says grabbing his keys

Eliza and Peggy are driving with us and we're meeting Herc and Laf there since they live in a different dorm. I'm not entirely sure why I need all these people to help me pick out a few items of clothing, but I've quickly learned not to question their methods of friendship.

"Yo, Liza! Peggy! Let's gooo" John yells through their door

"Coming" Peggy yells back as they emerge from the room

(At the Mall)

(Johns POV)

"Okay, Headcount. Let's see. We've got a Peggy, an Eliza, a Laf, A Herc, and an espresso bean" I count the heads on our shopping trip

"um excuse?" Alex questions

"You're small and bitter. Just like an espresso bean" I respond, quite happy with myself for coming up with the nickname

"I don't approve of that nickname" He protests, but his smile is saying otherwise

"Okay, you two. I've got a schedule to keep" Peggy reminds us

"Got it, to the first store we go!" Peggy, Eliza, and I link arms and skip down the hall to our favorite store while Herc and Laf hang behind, explaining to Alex exactly what kind of looks they want to see him in. I can tell this isn't really Alex's scene, but I love that he's trying for us.

At the first store, we split up picking out pieces that we think would suit Alex or that we just want to see him try. Once that's done, we all bring our clothing choices to Herc so he can put together outfits. This is our favorite store at the Steamtown Mall, in part due to the cute clothes and also the dressing room waiting area doubles as a catwalk so you can basically have fashion shows with your friends.

"Okay ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the lovely, the seggsi, the fashionable, Alexander Hamilton" Herc announces as he pulls back the curtain to reveal a very sleek-looking Alex in a maroon button-down, black fitted pants, and black leather shoes.

"I love it, Alex" I smile

"Yeah, you look like a mob boss or something." says Peggy

"I've got an idea, don't move." Herc runs off to grab something and comes back with a simple black cord necklace with a small lion pendant. He unbuttons Alex's shirt a few buttons, rolls up his sleeves for him, and puts the necklace around Alex's neck.

"Now that is downright sexy, Alex" Eliza calls only half-joking

"That's exactly what I was going to say, nice work Herc" I respond

"Hold your applause, I'm just getting started" Herc takes Alex back to the dressing room to help with the next look.

"This next look is more casual, for everyday wear" Herc says as he comes back out

Alex walks down the runway in a fitted black shirt with a side pocket, Black ribbed jeans, and a simple Bracelet.

"Simple yet fashionable. I love it mon Ami" Lafeyette says, talking more to Herc than to Alex

The 3rd and 4th outfits are very academic, cardigans with accessories, for his Law presentations. The 5th outfit is his very own onesie for future Pajama parties, and the 6th is a suit that makes him look like a Caribbean James bond.

While we were waiting on the 7th look, Eliza brought up the question I knew was coming "So, John. Peggy told me you've got a bit of a crush"

"OH? How have I not heard this yet?" Lafeyette asks, now very intruiged

"It's not really a crush, it's more of a small liking, or a pre-crush" I respond trying to quickly end the conversation before Alex comes back

"Oooh, he's blushing" Eliza mocks 

"Well, John that's not what you told me. I specifically remember you telling me hOW CUTE HE IS AND HOW YOUVE GOT A HUGE CRUSH ON-" Peggy's says gradually raising her voice louder until she nearly yelling

"Okay, Shhh. It's a crush, it's a full crush. Are you happy???" I whisper to them

(Alex's POV)

"John, you've got a crush? Who???" Herc questions as we emerge from the curtains with the final outfit.  
John has a crush... why am I so disappointed?

"Oh, it's no one" John says obviously trying to dodge the question. I don't know why but it makes my cheeks light up, red with envy.

"I bet he's super cute" I add

"Um, yeah he is, actually," he responds cautiously

"I will be prying that information out of you later but for now, back to the man of the hour" Herc brings the attention to me again, which is good because I don't need to know any more about john's hot crush.

"This is the final look, It's our Friday night party look." Herc announces

I'm wearing a pair of black ripped jeans, an oversized Hawaiian shirt open halfway to show off my not-so-toned body, and a black leather jacket.

"I love it, I hope we get to try it out at a party soon." Eliza says making small motions that I think are supposed to look like dance moves

"Good idea, everybody be on the lookout for a party next weekend" Lafayette announces

"Okay, the final outfit has been shown. Which ones are we getting?" asks Herc

"Is it crazy to say I love them all?" "honestly same, they all suit you so well" everyone clambered in agreement

"Okay, it's settled. Alex, go change into your clothes so we can check out." Herc says, a satisfied smile on his face

"Okay, um John can I talk to back there first," I ask, noticing Peggy's eyes go wide at my saying so

"Oh yeah, for sure" John replies as he gets up. 

When we're back in the dressing room out of sight I sigh, "John, I can't afford all of these... I thought we were just picking out one outfit, that's why I agreed to this." I say, with embarrassment welling up in my neck

"Oh, Alex. I was planning to pay for them the whole time, I thought you knew that. I'm the one who suggested we go shopping in the first place" he responds coolly

"No, I can't let you do that. That's like 2,000$" I protest

"It's nothing really, we haven't talked about this much, but my family is... comfortable," he says rubbing his palm nervously

"Comfortable?" I ask

"Let's just say I can afford to do my friend a favor" he responds timidly

"So, you're loaded?" I tease

"If you'll let me do this for you, I'll let you say I'm loaded"

I nod. I had no idea his family had money, but I guess now it makes sense. He did bring a lot of bags and he drives a brand-new car... so do the Schuyler's for that matter. I want to ask if the Schuyler's are wealthy too but that feels disrespectful and john is already doing me a huge favor, I don't want to make it weird.

John and I walk back out to the waiting room once I'm dressed.

"Okay let's check out so we can get this man into some real clothes" John announces helping me carry my clothes.


	6. The Penguins

Shishter peggy chat

Peggweey: YO, I asked Maria if she knew of any parties happening in the area and she heard Kappa Omega Kappa is having a party this Friday

TrTleBoi: That's on our campus!!!

Peggweey: I'll let the girls know, you let the guys know

TrTleBoi: ON IT!

I slide my phone into my pocket as I walk the hall to our dorm. On my way home from class, I stopped and got Alex a coffee, I know he'll need it. He's got a big debate coming up for Washington's Law class, he hasn't slept in like two days.

"Guess what I brought you" I call to him as I enter the room

"Just a sec, I'm in the middle of a sentence... and... I'm... done!" he's so cute when he's focused "Awe, you brought me a coffee?" he spins around in his swivel chair in excitement  
"Thanks, John," he says sipping his coffee contently

"So in exchange for the coffee, do you have five minutes to catch up with your roomie? I feel like we haven't talked since Monday when you found out about your big debate" I prompt 

"Okay, five minutes but then I've got to get back to work, Jefferson has been raking me over the coals this week" He groans in frustration

"Which one is Jefferson again?" I ask

"Oh, My Lord. He is this fluffy-haired, argumentative, Francophile asshole. Every single thing I say, he counters with some lame-ass excuse for a comeback" Alex says waving his arms to emphasize just how annoying this guy is. I'm afraid he's going to knock the coffee over 

"Sounds like a real jagweed" I happily listen to his antics

"He seriously is, but the worst part is even though he's such an ass and it's so clear he's wrong, He's a great debater and he plays dirty. I heard he once pushed someone down the stairs of the great hall the day before their debate, so they'd have to forfeit. That's why I'm preparing for every possible scenario"

"Okay well, I'll leave you to your studying. I've just got one more thing to tell you." I jut in before he can turn back to his computer "You remember Maria, right?" I ask

"Peggy's mysterious lover, of course, why?"

"She found us a party to go to this Friday, so you can strut your stuff in those new clothes" I giggle, looking him up and down

"Usually I would protest going to any sort of social gathering but I'm going to need a way to blow off some steam after this debate, so I guess I'm in" he agrees

"Awesome, I'll go let Herc and Laf know"

(Time skip)

(Angelicas POV)

It's Thursday morning, I'm sitting with Alex in the front row of the classroom as the line of students shuffle in the doors. Alex and I got here a half hour early so we could go over his final preparations for the debate.

"Alex, you got this. You've been preparing all week." I tell him, attempting to soothe his nerves

"I know, I'm just nervous that Jefferson is going to pull some cheap trick last-minute" He begins to fidget nervously with the neck of his new cardigan

"Mr. Washington won't fall for that; he doesn't put up with Jefferson's nonsense" I remind him

Alex is the first freshman to ever get paired with an upperclassman for a debate. It's both an extreme honor and extremely nerve-wracking. We all Know Alex is Washington's favorite student, but not without good reason. Alex has a real knack for this sort of thing and nails every assignment he's given.

"Okay, it's time to begin class" Mr. Washington announces "Alex, Jefferson, would you like to join me upfront please?"

Alex scoops up his notes and walks to the front. I can tell he's trying to collect himself when all of a sudden Jefferson trips him. Alex's Cards fly everywhere and he lands flat on his chest

"Mr. Jefferson, next time lets watch our feet" Mr. Washington scolds him harshly

"Oh, of course, I'm so sorry Alice" Jefferson smirks

I rush up to the front to help him pick up his cards "Don't let him get in your head. You could debate him in your sleep. And you have, John told me he heard you debating him last night, you've got this"

Alex nods and gets up. I return to my seat to await his next move. Alex slowly saunters over to the garbage can, looks Jefferson dead in the eye, and throws his now unorganized pile of note cards, into the trash.

He clears his throat and confidently states "I'm ready"

I see Mr. Washington smile and the debate begins.

Alex speaks like a well-oiled machine as he shoots perfectly timed counterarguments at Jefferson. He's charmingly confident without being too cocky, he's polite without letting himself be trampled. By the end of the debate, he has the class audience wrapped around his finger.

"Okay, that wraps up Alex and Jeffersons debate. Let's give them a round of applause" the class claps and somehow you could tell they were clapping for Alex without anyone saying a word.

"Your results will be posted outside the classroom tomorrow morning; you can check before class at that time" Washington reminds

Alex and Jefferson both walk back to their seats and I whisper to Alex "You don't even need to check; I know you won."

He smiles and turns around to face Jefferson who's on the other side of the room shooting daggers at us and casually blows him a kiss. Alex and I high five under the table and the rest of the debates continue.

(Time skip)

(Johns POV)

It's Friday afternoon, Alex and Angelica are still in Washington's class. They decided to stay late to celebrate his victory over Jefferson. Apparently, Alex absolutely nailed his debate.

*Knock Knock Knock* I hear someone loudly banging on the door. That's weird, none of my friends knock, they either barge in or yell through the door. Alex must've forgotten his key

"Alex, did you forget your key?" I yell as I walk towards the door.

No reply.

I open the door to find a steaming pile of Thomas Jefferson

"Oh, Jefferson... Can I help y-" before I can finish my sentence he barges into the room

"Where's your dweeb boyfriend?" he yells

"I'm assuming you mean Alex, and honestly based on your temper I don't think I should tell you" I speak calmly which only makes him more angry

Suddenly he shoves me into the wall, and a stinging pain shoots through my shoulder

"You tell Alex to watch his back, okay?" he leaves and slams the door behind him.

I must have stood there for a whole minute, frozen in shock. Once I woke up from the daze I picked up my phone to call Alex. I need to warn him.

He picks up on the second ring

"Johnnn, hey we're gonna leave in like 5 min-" Alex starts but I don't have time to let him finish 

"Alex, something happened. Come home, now. Bring Angelica back too." I urge

"what is it? What's wrong?" he asks now increasingly concerned

"I'm scared Alex, please come home."

"Okay, we're leaving now"

I hang up so I can call Herc, and text Peggy.

Within the next five minutes, everyone is here

"Okay, Jacky we're all here. Tell us what happened" Peggy says taking my hand

"I was here alone when I heard someone knock on the door. I assumed it was one of you..." I trail off not wanting to finish the sentence "But when I opened the door, Jefferson was here" 

"why would he be here?" Elizas face becomes more worried

"He slammed me into the wall and told me to tell Alex that he should watch his back" I explain still clutching Peggys hand

"Oh my god, I knew he was angry after he lost today... But to threaten you?" Angelica's eyes fill with a flurry of confusion

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Alex has a horrifying look on his face, its like anger but darker.

"Alex... are you alright?" I want to reach out and hug him, but something stops me from releasing Peggys hand

"...did he hurt you?" he asks with an ominous look in his eye

"Not too bad, my shoulders just a little bruised" I respond, as Alex slowly starts to stand up

"I swear to god, I'm going to find him. He's not going to get away with this" Alex starts for the door but Herc grabs him before he can leave

"Alex, we need to report this to the headmaster, not escalate the situation"

"He's right, mon ami" Lafayette agrees

"NO, when I'm through with him, Jefferson is never going to lay hand on him again" Alex yells as he breaks away from Herc

This time Herc grabs Alex and Lafayette blocks the door. Herc is already much taller than Alex, and Lafayette is even taller than him so it was shocking that Alex got as far as escaping Herc's grasp and running to the door where Laf stood acting as a bodygaurd.

"Let. Me. Out." Alex begged him, wild anger brewing in his eyes

"Amour, you know I can't do that" Lafayette speaks apologetically

Alex collapses to the ground, as he suddenly begins sobbing. This time when I feel the pull to him I don't resist. I rush to his side

"Alex, I'm fine, really. My shoulder is already feeling better" I try to comfort him with my words, but it isn't working. Instinctively I pull him into my lap and hug him as tight as I can.

Suddenly I feel Peggy's arms reach around my side and then around Alex. I feel Angie's soft curls drape over my shoulder as she hugs us, then Eliza, Herc, and Laf

We all stayed like that, huddled like a group of penguins trying to keep warm until Alex ran out of tears and steadied his breathing

"I've never had a group of friends before, and I want to be able to protect you" he whispers just loud enough for us to hear

"We're a strong group, Alex." I respond brushing the hair from his face so I can see his eyes "We've been knocked down more times than I can count but we get back up because we have each other. You don't need to protect us, in fact, it's probably impossible to protect us, we're idiots. All you can do, all any of us can do is help each other when we get knocked down."

"The last people I cared for were my mom and my cousin, I couldn't protect them and now they're gone. How can I sit by and watch someone I love get hurt"

"You're not responsible for what happened to your them. And you're not responsible for what happened to me." I rub his back softly 

"Thank you, John," he says resting his head back on my shoulder which is wet with his tears "Thank you" he whispers softer this time so that only I could hear it


	7. The Drink

(Alex's POV)

"We shouldn't go to the party, right?" Angelica asks cautiously observing the room

"Honestly, I'm not usually one who wants to go to parties in the first place but after everything that has happened this evening I could you use a drink." I respond

"Me too" John adds

"Shouldn't we be staying in until we can report this to the office?" Eliza questions

"The office won't be open until Monday and Jefferson has literally never been to a party his life so we wouldn't have to worry about him showing up." I remind them

"I say we go, there's nothing we can do about it now, and sitting around thinking about it won't make anything better." Herc says

"The party starts in 30 minutes" Peggy reads from the (very outdated) watch she always wears

"I guess we'll just have to be fashionably late then" I say allowing a smile to appear on my lips

"Okay everybody, go get ready, lets meet there in an hour?" John orders

Everyone leaves, so it's just John and I.

"Are you going to be okay tonight?" I ask him

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was more worried about you, actually" he responds

"why were you worried about me?" I ask confused

"Well, he did threaten you..." John trails off obviously wanting to change the topic "and I'm also worried about your outfit, did you get dressed in the dark or something?" he winks softly and scurries off to change in the bathroom, so I change out here. After slipping on the Hawaiian shirt and jeans I hear john come out of the bathroom and I notice a slight shimmer on his cheeks, he looks absolutly stunning but all I can utter is,

"Are you wearing makeup?"

"A little," responds "want to try it?"

"why not" I smile. My mom didn't wear makeup, I didn't have sisters, and I never saw men in Nevis wearing makeup so I don't have a lot of experience with the stuff but I'm happy to try anything that John suggests.

He escorts me to the bathroom where he sits me down and starts lining my cheekbones with bronzer, so I look less "ghostly", his words, not mine, He dabs a small amount of concealer under my eyes so a look less like a "corpse", again his words, he brushes my eyebrow hairs up with gel, and puts my mascara on. When I open my eyes and look in the mirror, I'm shocked at how alive I look.

"That barely took two minutes and I already look so much... better" I restrain not wanting to sound too cocky

"I think the word you're looking for is hot, and you looked hot before too" he smiles into the mirror examining his work

"then why did you keep telling me I looked like a cadaver?" I ask with a laugh

"That's not what I meant!" he responds playfully pushing me

(Time skip)

"Hey! Hold my drink for me! I'm going to go find Peggy" Maria shouts over the music handing me her drink.

"Sure thing" I respond as I take a sip of her drink which is surprisingly tasty

"What do you think is taking her so long?" John Asks me. Peggy went to get herself a drink a while ago and still hasn't come back. Before I can answer we see a very drunk Eliza and an even drunker Lafeyette get up on the karaoke stage and start picking out a song

"Eliza doesn't drink very often, she prefers to be the designated driver but about once a year she gets absolutely hammered, it's great to watch" John explains happily watching the chaos unfold

The music begins and I immediately recognize that terrible song that John wouldn't stop playing the first week we met. He thought it was so funny to try and annoy me with, but apparently, it's very popular in the united states.

"Do you ever feel... Like a plastic bag drifting through the wind wanting to start again," Eliza starts terribly off-key, then Laf Joins in and it just gets worse  
"Do you even feel oh Soap, paper-thin? A house of cards one bowl from carving in"

"Oh no, those aren't even the right lyrics" John whispers

When the chorus starts, I almost spit out my drink, well maria's drink that I've nearly finished at this point.

"causE... bAbY YOURE A FÍREWÓRK!!!" they scream together swinging their heads like maniacs

"Yessssss, get it Liza!" I yell through cupped hands

"Werk it Laf" John adds

Suddenly Peggy and maria are back at our side looking a little disheveled

"Oh... Maria. I accidentally drank your drink... like the whole thing. I'm sorry" I say showing her the now empty cup

"It's alright Alex. We're going to head out anyway. Something came up" Maria responds quickly

"Okay, love you pegs, good to see you again Maria" John says side hugging both of them before returning his focus to our drunk disaster twins singing their hearts out.

(Johns POV)

The incident with Jefferson had shaken me a little more than I was letting on, but after a few drinks and listening to Laf and Eliza sing Firework by Katy Perry, I'm feeling much better.

"Hey Alex, I'm going to go get a drink, you want anything?" I ask

"Actually, I just drank Maria's vodka soda, so I'm feeling nice and buzzed. I'm trying to stay in that sweet spot between sober and drunk" he responds, giving me a goofy high five

"Got it" I say as I walk away to go grab myself another drink.

I'm gone for less than 5 minutes but when I come back Alex is swaying as if he's having trouble staying upright

"Hey, Alex. Are you feeling alright?" I ask a little worried

"Uh yeah... just feeling a bit dizzy... I think I need some fresh air" he responds still teetering a little

"Okay let's go outside" I slip my arm around his waist so he can lean on me as we walk to the door. He seems pretty out of it, his eyes are a bit glazed over and he's leaning most of his body weight on me

"Are you sure you're feeling alri-" i start but without warning Alex collapses on top of me

"Alex? Alex are you okay???"


	8. The Next Morning

!!!TW!!! Mention of Date rape drugs

(Johns POV)

Its 2 AM, I've been at the hospital with Alex for 2 hours now. After he passed out, someone called 911 and I rode in the ambulance with him. They examined his blood work and within the hour they told me he had been Roofied.

I immediately thought back to what Jefferson said,

"You tell Alex to watch his back, okay?" It had to have been Jefferson, he's the only person who has a problem with Alex.

Shortly after Alex's bloodwork came back the rest of our group, except Peggy and Maria, who weren't answering their phones, arrived.

They were just as concerned as I was, and it broke my heart to tell them that he had been drugged. After they left, the police showed up and interviewed me to get my side of the story, I told them everything about that day, including Jefferson's threat. They wanted to interview Alex too, but he was still unconscious.

"Hey, pretty boy" Alex muttered with one eye half-open

"The nurse said you'd be awake soon" I'm relieved to see him conscious again

"The nurse? Does that mean something is wrong with me..." He trailed off looking at one of the posters for HIV awareness on the wall

"Alex, we think Jefferson roofied you"

"Jefferson ruffed at me? He's not a dog" he looks at me confused and mildly amused by the image of Jefferson barking like a dog

Before I can explain to him what I meant, the nurse walks in

"Since Alex has no living family, we can release him into your care, Mr. Laurens. Here are your care instructions and the number Alex can call when he's ready to testify to the police" she says as she hands me the paperwork

"You ready to go home, Alex?" the nurse asks him in a very juvenile tone as if she was talking to a toddler

"You betcha" Alex sticks out a goofy thumbs-up, obviously still pretty loopy

As soon as he sat down in the car he fell asleep, so when we arrived outside the dorm hall, I picked him up and carried him upstairs the same way I had carried him back from the Schuyler's dorm a week ago. I thought I might have lost him tonight, when he passed out, I was so scared I was never going to hold him again or tell him how I feel.

As I lay him down in his bed, he wakes up

"Pretty boy!" he exclaims

"Hi Alex, how are you feeling?" I ask taking his hand in my mine

"I'm jealous... like sooo jealous" he says with exaggerated hand motions

"oh, and who are you jealous of?" I ask him expecting a very nonsensical answer

"Your boy crush" he responds

"what?" I freeze, unsure of his meaning

"you said you had a crush on someone at the mall... I wish I was that someone" His eyes roll back slightly as he struggles to keep them open

"Alex, you don't know what you're saying. You're all loopy" I dismiss him

"No, no no no. I love you, pretty boy" he says quietly allowing me to tuck him in 

"Alex, I think you need some sleep" I try to quiet him

"Then come to sleep with me" John pulls me down into his bed as he kisses me passionately running his hands over the back of my head slightly before I can pull away

"Alex, you don't know what you're doing. And we can't do, whatever this is, You're drugged" I explain hoping that even if he doesn't understand, he'll quiet down and go to bed

"Then just hold me" he whispers softly

I lay down next to him and cradle his head until he falls asleep

Did he really just kiss me? and tell me that he loves me? His lips are so soft, they feel so nice against mine. But I'm sure he didn't mean anything he said, he's just intoxicated.

(Time Skip)

(Alex's POV)

Waking up everything feels foggy, I don't remember much that happened last night at the party or how I got home for that matter.

I sit up to see John staring at me

"Hey sleepyhead" he smiles

"Did I end up drinking too much last night?" I ask while rubbing the panging sensation in my head

"What's the last thing you remember?" John's face tells me that something bad happened

"Umm, I remember getting there, and about an hour after that but everything gets a bit blurry after Maria left to go find Peggy," I try to remember more but come up short.

John sighs and sits down next to me "Alex, you were drugged last night... We think it was Jefferson"

Drugged?

I don't know what to say

I was drugged...

Did he plan on having someone hurt me once I was unconscious or was the plan just to humiliate me?

a thousand thoughts fly through my head but the only one that sticks is how violated I feel

"Are you okay?" he asks tenderly taking my hand

"Yeah, I'm just shocked..." I lie, I'm not okay "I knew Jefferson was an ass, but I never thought he'd do something like this"

"Yeah, me neither" he agrees solemnly "I know this won't help much but, I made you coffee" He adds. In a time like this where I'm questioning everything, having john here just feels right.

"Thank you, John," I say as I pull him into a long hug

After a few minutes, John pulls away from me and I'm shocked to see that he has a single tear rolling down his cheek

"Alex, will you go to dinner with me tonight? I feel like we have a lot to talk about" he whispers

"Of course" I respond, happy to have something to look forward to 

We hear a knock at the door which makes john flinch

"I don't know why I did that, it's just Eliza," John says as he gets up to answer the door

"Why is Eliza here? Not that I'm disappointed or anything" as I ask, I see Eliza walk through the door with an assortment of items: A stack of Disney movies, hot cocoa mix, mini marshmallows, and a bag of groceries

"I have to meet with my marine biology professor about a spring internship, so I'll be gone for the rest of the day and I figured you could use some company while I'm gone" John explains

"I brought Disney movies, Hot chocolate, Which is my favorite comfort food, and I brought all the ingredients for goat water stew..." Eliza notices the distinct disgusted look on John's face

"...Goat water?" John asks confused by the precarious name

"It's one of the most popular dishes in Nevis. Which happens to be the Caribbean island Alex grew up on. I was hoping I could make it for you." Eliza turns to me as she casually shools John on her knowledge of my birthplace "I wasn't sure what your favorite comfort food was, but I figured I could at least make something that might remind you of home"

I can barely get out a sentence before getting all teary "I haven't had that since I was 12 years old, I can't believe youd'e do this for me" and it was true, no one had ever made such a sweet gesture for me

"Its my pleasure" She responded happily before turning back to John, "Now John, my dear friend, get out," She shoos him from the room

"Okay one last thing, our dinner reservation is at 6, Eliza will drive you there. Wear your James bond suit, it's a nice place" john calls out as he's pushed from the room.


	9. The Bond

(Alexs POV)

As soon as John was successfully shooed from the room Eliza started to talk again

"Okay, I figured we would start with 'The Lion King', for my lion friend" I laugh as Eliza puts the DVD in the Laptop she brought. As the movie begins Eliza gets up to start chopping vegetables and cooking the meat for the stew. Every time a new song begins she sings along with it in perfect harmony all the while cooking away.

As she throws all the ingredients in the pot together the smells start to intertwine and float around the room, reminding me of my childhood. I recall a night when my mom was cooking Goats water stew while my youngest cousin and I ran around the living room, I believe we were pretending to be knights. At one point I bumped into the table and nearly knocked over the lamp that was sitting there, but my eldest cousin caught it before it dropped.

"Be careful my little lion" He said as he sent us into the kitchen to eat

That night my mother was wearing a simple cream dress that perfectly complimented her complexion, I remember thinking she was the most beautiful woman in the world. I never got the chance to tell that. 3 months later we fell ill...

"Alex, are you feeling alright?" Eliza asks me examining my face as she carries two bowls of Stew over to me

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about the last time I smelled this" 

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks

"Oh, I wouldn't want to burden you with my stories" I dismiss her

"Alex, you're a fascinating person, I for one, would love to get to know you" she smiles sets down the bowls on a foldout table next to me

"Okay, well. I was just thinking about how the last time my mother made this for me, was shortly before we fell ill" I start

"Is that when your mother passed away?" she asked cautiously

"Yeah, we were both sick for just over a week but when I started to get better, she started to get worse. I remember the last day; I decided to make her this stew because she always made it for me when I had a cold. I thought it would make her better, the same way it had made me better. When I came into the room, she was sitting on the floor struggling to breathe. I dropped the stew and ran to her; I was crying and begging her to stay with me. I sat there with her until her very last breath."

"How old were you?" 

"I had just turned 13 the month before" I respond studying the pattern of the floor

"Is it hard not being able to be with your family?" She asks me taking a spoonful of her soup

"I know it sounds weird considering I've only known you guys for a month or so but I'm starting to feel like my family is right here" I mean it too, I haven't felt this close to anyone since my mother

Eliza smiles, "Then I suppose I've done my job as the group mom. Here, eat up," She says as she hands me the bowl of stew. After taking a few more bites she pauses, "Ya know, you fit in pretty well with this group" 

"How so?" I ask mildly confused

"Lafayette lost his mother and his father before he was 7, John lost his mom when he was 16, Herc's mom and dad immigrated to America before he was born and the rest of his family lives in Ireland so the only family he knows are his mom, dad, and brother. Peggy, Angie, and I have lost our grandparents and mourned our mother's miscarriages... The point is, you've lost a lot and so have we, but in return, we gained an unbreakable bond born from caring for one another during our darkest hours."

"Wow," I say stunned. I spent most of my life longing for a family, longing for a group of people who would understand my struggles, I spent so long wishing for it that I started to believe that would never really happen. 

"We're glad to welcome you into our band of misfits Alex" She responded, sensing my joy at hearing her words

(Time Skip)

"Alex, wake up" I hear Eliza whisper "You've got dinner with John in 45 minutes, you should start getting ready"

I think I fell asleep halfway through Hercules, which is disappointing because it was shaping up to be my favorite Disney movie ever. But now it's time to get ready to go out with John, well not go out with john like on a date, but just go out with john as a friend... unfortunately. I reach into the bottom drawer of my dresser where I keep all my nice clothes. I pull out my new suit and slip on the navy-blue button-up shirt. When I'm dressed, I walk out of the bathroom to ask Eliza how I look.

"You like a prince, but why don't we unbutton this shirt one more button. It's still formal, just a little more flirty" She smiles mischievously as she adjusts my buttons

"Why do I need to look flirty?" I ask raising an eyebrow at her

She rolls her eyes at me "Oh, enough of the act Alex, we all see the way you look at him" 

Nervously I run a hand through my mid-length hair "Is it that obvious?"

She nods "Now sit down, I'm going to braid your hair"

I do as she says and let her pull my hair back into a single French braid, all the while watching her in the mirror. When she's finished, she pulls out two strands in the front "to frame my face". I'm not sure what that means, but it looks nice.

"Do you think I should put on some makeup?" I state casually hoping she'll say yes

"Sure, do you want my help?" She asks

"Yeah" In the past, it would have been hard for me to accept help from others, but I trust Eliza, she listened to me when I needed it most, and she cooked for me. Now that I think about it, I've accepted a lot of help today without even batting an eye... 

She goes through the same steps that John did yesterday, Bronzer, concealer, eyebrow gel, and mascara. When she's finished I slip on my blazer and we walk outside into the Autumn night and get in her car. The drive is silent until we arrive at the restaurant

"Woah" the outside of the restaurant is beyond extravagant

"Yeah, John said he wanted tonight to be special" She responds. I'm not sure what makes tonight special, but I'm looking forward to spending the night with him anyway

I step out of the car to see John staring at me from the other side of the street. I've never been so infatuated with someone, He looks stunning. His smile is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, His freckles are so perfect, I want to know him in a way no one else gets to know him.

"How was your day?" John asks

"Amazing, thanks for calling Eliza for me"

"You ready to go in?" he asks

I nod quietly taking in the sights of the busy New York street around us.

"Hercules helped me call the police and schedule a time for my testimony," I tell him

he smiles, "I'm glad, but that reminds me, I ran into Mr. Washington today. He told me that Jefferson has been suspended until they can confirm the story." With those words I feel myself relax, the thought of having to sit in class with him, knowing what he did, was making me ill.

(Time skip)

(Johns POV)

As we finish dinner I stand up and offer Alex my hand "Do you want to go for a walk?"

He takes my hand and we walk outside, down the street to a nearby park

Last night changed my whole outlook on our relationship. I don't care if Alex doesn't like me, I need to tell him how I feel. I thought I lost him before, and I'm not letting him slip through my fingers again, not before I tell him that I love him.

We stop under an oak tree that has just begun to change colors

"Alex, I have something to tell you" I begin

"Okay?" he responds not knowing the gravity of what I'm about to tell him

"Yesterday when you passed out, I thought I might have lost you... I thought that I might never get to see you smile again, or watch the way you purse your lips when you're focused, or that I might never get to tell you how I feel about you..."

"What do you mean?" now he's paying attention, his eyes wide with alert

"I love you, Alex. I love you, and it's okay if you don't feel the same way. I just needed to tell you that and I-"

Alex crashes his face into mine, our lips collide like two waves becoming one

I'm shocked for a second until I realize what's happening, I reach my arms around Alex's sides and pick him up as he wraps his legs around me. Kissing him feels so good, I forget what I had been saying, I just want more... but Alex pulls away

"I love you too" he speaks quietly 

"What?" I ask in dazed confusion, I feel as though I'm intoxicated without having anything to drink

"I love you, John" he repeats and this time I understand what he's saying 

"I love you too, Alex" As I lean in to kiss him again my phone begins to ring

"I'm sorry, I should really see who that is" I put Alex down and pull out my phone

Its Peggy,

"We need to talk now. Get back to the dorm ASAP" she hangs up before i have a chance to ask whats happening.

"We have to get back to the dorm, Peggy needs us."


	10. The Revelation

(Johns POV)

Alex and I rush home from our not date... that may have turned into a date, I'm not sure we haven't got a chance to talk about it.

We walk into the Schuyler dorm to see the whole gang is here, including Maria

"Okay, we're here what's going on?" I ask frantically

"I think we all need to go over our stories from last night to fill in some gaps" Peggy says

"What kind of gaps?" Alex asks, glancing at me in confusion

"Last night, when I went to get a drink, I ran into Maria's ex-boyfriend... I was there for a while because I was trying to figure out why he would be on our campus"

"That's when I went to go look for her," Maria chimes in "When I saw him, I went into a bit of a panic attack. There is no way he was just there for the party. He always has an ulterior motive"

"That's why we left" Peggy finishes

"I'm sorry Maria, he sounds terrible." I try to console her before asking "What do you guys think that has to do with what happened to Alex?"

"Alex, all you had was my drink last night, right?" Maria asks

"yeah..." he responds wearily

"When I was talking to James, he mentioned something that made me think he was planning to roofie Maria, but you ended up drinking her cup" Peggy says her eyes darting to Alex

Alex looks shocked but doesn't say anything

"Have you testified to the police yet?" Angelica asks him taking his hand softly

"Not yet, my appointment is tomorrow," he says quietly, unable to meet anyone eyes

"Okay let me get this straight." I break the silence "You're saying, you think Jefferson made an empty threat, and James intended to drug you, so Alex was never supposed to be a part of this in the first place?"

"Yeah" Maria stares at me apologetically

"I think we should talk to Jefferson" Alex speaks up

"what?" I nearly gasp in shock

"I would be able to tell if he was lying, and maybe he has an alibi or something" Alex continues

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" I question him

"yeah, I'll feel better when I get to the bottom of this" He grabs my hand sternly reassuring me that what he said was true

"Okay, we'll talk to him together tomorrow" I agree

(Time Skip)

(Alex's POV)

Last night after everyone left, I wanted to talk to John about what we are now, after our kiss, but he said we should focus on the testimony for now. He wants to make sure I'm safe before we talk about us, which makes sense, even if I don't like it.

"You ready?" John asks

"Ready as I'll ever be" I sigh and I knock-on Jefferson's door. I don't think I'm really ready to see Jefferson, I'm afraid that when I see his stupid face I'll only be able to think about what he did to John and I'll be filled with rage, yet I have no choice

Jefferson comes to the door, wearing an ugly knit vest and a worried expression  
"Hey, Alex, and... John, is it?" Even when he's trying to sound apologetic, he's an ass

"Yep, good to see you again," John says with a cold demeanor

"Um, come on in," Jefferson steps out of the doorway, inviting us inside

I've never seen him so flustered. He's usually an arrogant, cocky, asshole, but now he just seems timid. As soon as we sit down, he begins speaking "Alex, I know we don't get along, but you have to believe I would never do something like that"

"Then why did you threaten him?" John cuts in, fire in his eyes

"My parents taught me to use manipulation as a tool to get what I want... and for a long time I believed that was okay." He answered simply

"Is drugging people also manipulation?" I ask raising an eyebrow at him sharply

"No, I just insinuate that if they don't back off, something bad will happen. I would never do anything more than that, and I swear, I will never do anything like that again. I've realized it can get me in a lot of trouble" As he speaks it becomes increasingly obvious he doesn't care about how it affects other people, he just doesn't want to get in trouble for the threats he makes.

"So, you expect me to believe that just like that, you've changed?" I ask him unamused

"Only idiots make the same mistake twice. I'm not an idiot." He's not wrong. He is an ass, but not an idiot. I look to John, signaling him to tell him that I believe Jefferson

"Fine, If you weren't at the party, where were you on Friday night?" John interrogates him

"If I tell you, you can't tell the police; I can't have it on record..." he says quietly

"Have what on record?" I ask

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone" he looks at us, his eyes pleading for reassurance

I glance over at john to see what he's thinking, and he nods. 

"Okay," we say

"I was with my boyfriend, James Madison. But My family isn't exactly accepting, they'll stop paying for my college tuition if they find out"

"We won't tell anyone," I respond looking down at the table. I believe him, I'm not sure why, but for the first time he seems like he's being genuine

"Alex, we've got to go," John reminds me after checking his phone

(Time Skip)

(Johns POV)

I'm waiting in the lobby of the police station; they took Alex back for questioning a few minutes ago.

I'm not entirely sure that I trust Thomas, but all the evidence points to it being James Reynolds, that and on the car ride over here Alex told me, he believes him, and I trust Alex

Alex...

I've been trying to put what happened between us out of my mind so that we can focus on prosecuting the right person and keep Alex safe. It's hard not to think about it though, that kiss was... magical. I've kissed my fair share of guys but nothing like this has ever happened. With that kind of passion.

"Hey John" Alex comes out of the backroom smiling

I stand up and pull him into a hug as he breaks down crying

"What'd they say?" I ask hoping for good news.

"They said Jefferson will probably remain in suspension for a week, for the assault and the threat. As for James, they are going to bring him in for questioning but they told me the chances of him not going to prison are slim"

"Does this mean we're done?" I ask desperately hoping he'll say yes.

"Yes, we're done. It's in their hands now" He pulls away looking at me through tears of happiness

"let's go home, Lex" I grab his hand and we walk out of that office looking forward to what the night would bring us.


	11. The Beauty

(Peggys POV)

This week has been rough for Maria, seeing James again really shook her. It breaks my heart to see her upset. She is truly such a kindhearted person; she didn't deserve to get so messed up by someone like that.

I wish I could take away her pain and replace it with warmth

"I'm ready" I call to Maria from the bathroom

The bathtub is full, with bubbles and rose petals, I put out a chilled bottle of champagne, lit a few candles, and dimmed the lights.

"Peggy... This is beautiful" Maria thanks me softly

"You deserve the most in this world, and I'll never stop trying to show you that" I respond kissing her forehead gently. We take off our clothes and slip into the bath together allowing the warm bubbles to engulf us.

I thought a self-care night would help her relax some especially since we just got the news that James is going to jail for the next two years. I'm glad he's going away but I'm upset all he got was two years. Apparently roofying someone isn't that big a deal to the courts if you can't prove the intent of anything more.  
Either way, she filed for a permanent restraining order against him so even when he does get out he won't be able to come anywhere near us ever again.

"Are we feeling a detoxifying clay mask or a moisturizing jelly mask tonight?" I ask holding up two tubes of face mask

"Jelly mask" she giggles

While I paint the mask on her face, I admire her. How perfect she is inside and out

"I don't think I've ever seen someone look so beautiful in a face mask" I say making her blush

"shut up" she laughs

I kiss her softly, accidentally rubbing part of her mask off. We soak in the bath for nearly a half-hour, sipping champagne, and cuddling before getting out and drying off.

After taking our masks off, we get dressed and walk back out to her bedroom. I sit down on the bed and smile at Maria whos standing across the room.

With only a mischievous grin as warning she runs and jumps on top of me, knocking me back on the bed. She kisses me passionately before jumping up from the bed to grab her phone,

I lay there still, waiting to see what she's doing. I hear 'Beauty and The Beast' playing over her Bluetooth speaker

"May I have this dance, Mlady?" she asks bowing and extending her hand

"Why of course, madame" I curtsy, and we dance in circles around her room just like we used to in the apartment in London. For a moment it feels like nothing has changed, It feels how it did when I blissfully ignored that we would be going to different schools, and would have to deal with her ex-boyfriend again. But something has changed, we've already dealt with all that. The only obstacle left in our foreseeable future is my father. That used to scare me, disappointing him, but after overcoming all of this, together, I know facing him with Maria will be easy. The one thing that truly hasn't changed since London, is that every day I still fall more and more in love with her.

"Beauty and the beast..." the song slowly comes to an end as I spin Maria and tip her over in my arms, but I lose my footing and we fall over onto the bed together, laughing and kissing each other. 

Pulling away to see her flushed face I softly speak "Maria, I want you to meet my family"


	12. The Mistake

(John's POV)

That Saturday when we got home from Alex's testimony we sat down on the couch and just... looked at each other. I almost suggested that we talk about our kiss, and about us, but it didn't feel like the right time. We were both so exhausted, not only from that day, but that week was just so long. We ended up falling asleep on that couch draped over the top of each other, neither of us having said a word.

It's been nearly a month since that happened, neither of us have so much as mentioned it to each other. Alex has been busy with law class and in a surprising turn of events he has befriended some of his classmates, Arron Burr and believe it or not... Jefferson. They've been having a lot of late nights in the library, so I haven't seen him as much.

One night I woke up at three AM and saw him typing at his desk. For a moment I was filled with courage and got up to go tell him that I don't want things to be weird between us, that I want him to be my best friend again, that I want him to kiss me again but when I saw him yawn, I was snapped back into reality. The reality where I am too scared to put myself out there again. I made the first move, I told him how I felt... if he feels the same way, surely, he'll do the same now.

Alex isn't the only one whos been busy though. Mr. Knox, My Marine Biology professor, is selecting his top 3 students at the end of the semester for an internship with the world's top marine conservation institution in Greece. If I got this, I would spend spring break learning from some of the world's greatest Marine biologists. It's an amazing opportunity.

So, we've both been distracted...

Anyways, it's about a week until Halloween and Eliza suggested we have a small Halloween party... well not a party, more like a get-together. I don't think any of us are ready to attend an actual party.

"Jacky we're here. Let's go" Eliza calls out as she walks away from the car

Eliza and I decided to go shopping for Halloween costumes together since everyone else already has their costumes.

"so, do you have any idea what you're going to be?" Eliza asks as we walk into the Halloween department store

"I was thinking maybe a manatee, they're pretty cute and they're actually a very unique sea creature" I smile thinking of the cushioned manatee costume I have conjured in my brain

"Ooor, you could be a sexy mermaid. They're unique sea creatures too" she says pulling out a pair of metallic fishnets

"Yeah... I don't know" I respond wearily

"Oh, come on, maybe Alex will be compelled to reveal how he really feels about you" She winks as she put the mermaid tail mini skirt away

"I don't really want to talk about Alex right now... but maybe I should dress up as something sexy, not for him of course. But because It'd be nice to feel hot for a night" Which is nota bluff by the way. I haven't felt like myself in weeks, It'd be nice to dress up and get my groove back.

"That's the spirit! Let's find you something seggsi" She sings as she prances into the women's sexy Halloween costumes

(Time Skip)

"Alex, you're home!" I smile as Alex walks through the door

"Yeah, I was just studying with Burr and Jefferson" he responds setting down his bag of books. I've been waiting for Alex to get home so I can tell him about the party happening this Saturday. I now realize that was a mistake considering he can get home anywhere from 1 pm to 1 am

"I've been meaning to tell you, Eliza is having a get together for Halloween and you're invited" 

"Oh cool, is it alright if I bring Thomas and Burr?" he asks quickly. I'm a little disappointed, I was hoping Saturday would be a chance for us to reconnect, but I guess he doesn't want that

"Of course, the more the merrier" I give a half-ass attempt at a smile

(Time Skip)

"John, I'm headed over to the Schuyler's, see you over there soon?" Alex calls through the bathroom door

"yup" I sigh as I look into the mirror, I really have to do this.

Eliza and I decided on a sexy black swan look. I've got on a black cropped tank top, along with a black mini skirt paired with, black fishnets and some shallow black heels... basically everything is black and made of very minimal fabric. I also put on some thick eyeliner, not as much as the black swan wears in the ballet but enough to make me look dark and mysterious. To finish the look I put on some black glitter swan wings and black nail polish.

Don't get me wrong I love how I look, and on a normal hall-o-ween I would be siked, but I'm just not in a party mood. I wish I was with Alex. I wish I knew what he was thinking. I wish I didn't have to pretend not to love him.

(Alex's POV)

I'm laughing with burr when I hear the door open and see John come in...

He looks so fucking hot

His outfit is dark and his eyeliner brings out his eyes perfectly. His top is short and shows off his toned body. I turn away quickly, not wanting to show my excitement to the rest of the room.

No one so much as compares to John tonight. Eliza is dressed as Belle from Beauty in the beast, Herc and Laf are an Angel and Devil, Maria and Peggy are the queen of hearts and Alice, from Alice in wonderland, Angelica is wearing a yellow dress with lemons on it and a nametag that says "life" which apparently is a pun on an American saying that I'm not familiar with, Burr dressed up as RBG, and I decided to dress up as a boxer so I'm wearing spandex shorts, a robe, and boxing gloves around my neck. There are also a few more random faces in the room, friends of friends and such. Burr brought his Crush, Theodosia, she's dressed as General Chris Jackson, the first president of the united states. I'd like to see the two of them get together, they're both majorly dorky.  
Jefferson couldn't come, James, his boyfriend, invited him to spend Halloween with his family, which is probably for the best considering everyone here thought he roofied me a month ago.

"Hey everyone!" Eliza gets up on one of the tables to make an announcement "Welcome to our humble abode, I've got a few games planned for tonight and the rest of the time feel free to help yourself to the snacks and of course have a Happy Halloween"

The first game is spin the bottle which I do not participate in, I don't understand the appeal of being forced to make out with strangers and Eliza said the only exception to the rule is if you are sisters so... I don't get a 'no thanks pass'

It's Laf's turn first and it lands on Herc by some miracle, they kiss, and they kiss some more, and then Peggy pulls them off each other. Peggy's turn, she spins, and It lands on John.

Fuck, it landed on John

I should've played

They laugh and lightly peck each other on the lips. I know he's not into girls, and she's not into guys, and he considers Peggy his sister, and Peggy's taken, but despite all of that, I still feel jealous. Next is Eliza's turn, she spins and it lands on the faceless ghost. The ghost lifts the sheet over his head to reveal he's a very handsome man I've seen around campus a few times, if I'm remembering correctly I think his name is Andre, John Andre. I didn't realize he was friends with someone here. Eliza leans across the circle to kiss him. Good for her.

When Spin the bottle is over, we play a few more games, these ones I actually participate in, like never have I ever, truth or dare, and a game Eliza called Halloween white elephant. We all sat in a circle and when it came time for our turn, we could either choose a bag of candy from the center or steal someone else's bag of candy. In the end we each ended up with a different bag of candy.

Now I'm sitting on a bean bag chair snacking on my bag of bat-shaped fruit candy as I watch my tipsy friend Burr walk over to me

"Aleeeexxxx" he calls

"what is it?" I ask suspiciously

"I was just having the most interesting conversation with Theo," he says attempting to wiggle his eyebrows at me and failing miserably "We were talking about how jealous you looked when you saw John kiss Peggy"

"I was not-" I start but get interrupted immediately 

"Yes, you were, but that's not the point. She was telling me that when she gets jealous it makes her like the other person even more... so I was thinking, what if I kissed someone to make her jealous"

"That's not the worst idea you've ever had" I respond surprised he was still making sense with all that alcohol in his system

"Okay, so you'll do it?" he sounds shocked that I agreed, which I didn't for the record

"Excuse me?" I ask

"You'll kiss me to make her jealous?"

"Absolutely not, I can't do that" trying to shoo him away from me so i can go back to watching John dance (respectfully)

"pleaseeee, you're the only person I know here. So, it has to be you" he whines into my ear

"Okay, but we're making it quick" I reluctantly agree

"no no, it's gotta be convincing" he waggles his finger at me

"Fine, if it'll make you stop talking. I'll do it" I roll my eyes and turn to face him

"Okay let me get her attention" Burr whispers, backs up, and pretends to trip dramatically and fall into my arms. It's pretty obvious it was staged, he's not a very good actor, and I was obviously prepared to catch him considering if I hadn't been, he would've knocked me over. Despite the unconvincing performance, it did catch a couple of people's eyes, including Theo.

"Okay kiss me" he whispers. I care about him and Theo and if he really believes this will work, I'm willing to pull out all the stops to help him

I slowly caress his face and pull him into a slow but deliberate kiss. I use the arm that's around his waist to bring him closer to me, so our bodies touch. I feel absolutely nothing and to be honest he's not a very good kisser. After a few seconds, we pull away

"Do you think it worked?" he asks me, a hopeful tinge to his voice

I look at the people watching us to catch Theos reaction but instead, I see John with a devastated look on his face. He drops his drink runs out of the apartment. I drop Burr and run after him, only to slip and fall on the drink john just spilled.

As I'm getting up, I notice the disgusted look on Eliza's face.

What have I done?


	13. The Argument

(Alex's POV)

"John wait!" I yell as I run down the hall after him

When I reach our dorm, I open the door to see him facing the wall with his head in his hands

"John..." I start

"What is wrong with you Alex?" he yells

"John, I didn't mean it, I was-" I start

"No, I mean really? I put myself out there and you think its appropriate to make out with other people in front of me???" he continues

"You're the one who didn't want to talk about it" I'm a little mad now, if it was up to me, we would have been together a month ago

"So that means instead of talking to me you find a new group of friends and make out with them? In front of me???" he exclaims in anger

"Need I remind you that you also kissed someone tonight?" I'm yelling now

"That was a GAME Alex, and it was with Peggy, that doesn't count! You Chose to kiss Burr" He throws his out to emphasize his points

"I was helping him! He wanted to make Theo jealous. I would have never kissed him otherwise" I step towards him

"Why are you yelling at me???" he shouts

"I don't know, I'm mad!" I yell back

"Why are you mad at me?" He steps towards me

"Because I want to be with you, but you wouldn't talk to me about it, and somehow that's my fault???" suddenly I'm not yelling anymore

"I already tried to tell you how I feel!!! I thought you were over me" He steps towards me again. I can see the hurt in his eyes as they well up with tears

"Well, I'm not. I was just trying to wait until you were ready to talk about it" I say softly taking his hand in mine.

He leans in and kisses me as tears roll down his cheeks, I lift my hands to wipe away the tears

I feel him smile against my lips

He presses me back against the wall kissing my neck. I smile back, unable to contain the joy I have at this moment, but my smile turns into a soft moan as he reaches for my hands which he pins against the wall. Holding them there with one hand, he unties the belt of my robe and lets it drop to the floor leaving me exposed standing in my underwear, 

I'm usually insecure about what people think of my body, but at this moment, with him, I can't think about anything but how much I want him right now.

I start to kiss him again, more desperately this time. He grabs my waist and moves me up the wall so that I'm sitting between his hips with my legs wrapped around him, he carries me over to his bed and lays me down. He strips off his costume and straddles me. Staring deep into my eyes, he takes my hand and slides it over his abs down to his waist. I clutch his hips, knowing that if I let go, I'll have nothing to steady me. He slowly grazes his hand over my jawbone as he inspects my face. He begins to kiss my neck, sucking and leaving marks from my Jaw down to my stomach when he reaches my hips he pauses and looks up at me.

"Is this okay?" he asks

I bite my lip hard as I respond, "Yes" and without thinking, I whisper "I love you, John"

"I love you too" he responds breathing softly

(Time skip)

(John's POV)

I regret holding back with Alex for so long

I've had physical connections with people before, but nothing like what happened last night.

My connection with Alex is more than physical and somehow more than emotional as well.

It's on another level, one I didn't know existed

I see Alex's eyes flutter open

"Goodmorning my espresso bean" I whisper

"I thought we decided to retire that nickname" he looks up at me

"mmm, I don't think so" I respond making him glare at me playfully

"So last night... that was really good for me. Was that good for you?" I ask cautiously

"Honestly, yes, it was... Perfect"

I've never been happier than I am right now.

"Do you want to go out for breakfast?" I ask

"Absolutely, I'm starving!" Alex exclaims

I brush my teeth and pull my hair back while Alex gets changed. When he knocks on the door we switch. I pull out a sweater and a pair of jeans, so I can start getting changed. Before I pull on my sweater Alex comes into the room

"Oh jeez John, I thought you were done changing," Alex says spinning around to face the wall

"Alex, you've seen me naked before," I say confused 

"I just don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything. I know I had your permission last night but that doesn't mean I do now..." he mumbles to the wall

"Alex, would you be my boyfriend? Like officially" I ask him (or at least the backside of him)

"I would love that, like really love that," He says, almost turning around to hug me but deciding against it

"Okay, now you have my permanent permission. I'll let you know if something changes, though I doubt it will" I walk over to him and pull him in by his waist to kiss him

"Okay put your shirt on so we can go eat" he pats me on the chest which makes me laugh. He's so goofy

We drive to the nearest breakfast place and as soon as we sit down to eat, Peggy calls so I put it on speaker so that Alex can hear her too.

She asks what happened last night and if we were okay. I told her we would explain it later but in summary, yeah, we're good. After that, she tells me that we had forgotten about the county fall fair and that next weekend is the last day it's open.

The county fair. I have a lot of memories there. I would spend one afternoon a year there, with my mom, dad, little brother Jemmy, and the Schuylers. I hold those memories very close to my heart but after my mother died when I was 16, I couldn't handle going again.

Peggy hesitantly asks if I want to go. She knows why I haven't gone, but it has been a while and I do have an amazing support system now

"I'd love to go," I say before I can change my mind. After Peggy hangs up, Alex asks me a question between shoveling forkfuls of pancake in his mouth.

"You seemed hesitant to say yes... why was that?"

"Well, I went to the fair every year as a kid and for some of my teens... I have a lot of wonderful memories like this one-time, Peggy dared me to go on this amusement ride that I was scared of so I did it purely to prove I could. I threw up after but ended up going three more times after that" I get distracted telling Alex all of my fair stories, nearly all are happy except one,

"There was one year that I got in a lot of trouble. We were 13 and Eliza had a crush on this boy named Elliot, they were planning to go on the Ferris wheel together. Super romantic and all but when she came back down she was crying. Elliot was snickering as he walked over to his friends and they all started laughing. Eliza told us that he kissed her which was what she wanted, but then he started trying to slide his hand up her skirt to touch her. When she told him to stop he called her a name I don't feel comfortable repeating and told her it was just a dare anyway" I stop to sigh, even though its been years since that happened it still makes me angry "Peggy and Angelica took Eliza to the bathroom to wipe away her tears and help her collect herself. I charged right up to them and punched Francis in the face, we got into a fistfight and he ended up with a broken nose. My parents were furious until I told them why I did it. After that, they were less mad and more proud" 

"Is that why you stopped going?" Alex asks me

"No, I've gotten into my fair share of fistfights in plenty of places around this city... including the campus football field, but that's a story for another day..." I trail trying to decide if that's a story Alex will ever hear, it doesn't paint me in the best light "I stopped going when I was sixteen because of my mom's passing. I had so many memories with her there, it was just too hard to face them"

Alex reaches across the table to hold my hand "John, if you're not ready to go, You don't have to"

"No, I want to, actually. I have to face it at some point, and it's what my mom would have wanted" I smile softly, imagining her face

"I'll be there for you every step of the way"


	14. The Dreams

(Alex's POV)

I'm woken up by John abruptly jolting upright

"John, are you alright my love?" I whisper sitting up next to him

"uh yeah," he mumbles, clearly very flustered. I place a hand on his lower back trying to comfort him, he's drenched in sweat.

"John, you're sweating. What's wrong?" I push

"Ever since the night of the party, I've been having trouble sleeping through the night... I keep having this... dream..." he drifts off

"You can tell me" I remind him

"Well, we're at the party and everything is going as it did that night, you pass out, I fall to the ground crying and trying to wake you up." as he speaks he struggles to meet my eyes "I pull you into my arms and try to clear the hair from your face but when I do you have been replaced by my mother. When I look up to shout for help there is no one there, I am completely alone. I sit there and scream hysterically until I feel you, or my mom, stop breathing"

I sigh, I had no idea that night affected him so much, it didn't occur to me that he really thought I was gone for a moment. "John, I'm still here and I'll be here for a long time" I try to console him

"I know, it's just, I loved my mother so much. When she died, I was completely inconsolable. I spent months in bed crying. The thought of losing another person I care for on that level is so unbearable... I think that's part of the reason I pulled away after I told you I loved you... it all got too real and too scary" he admits

I allow the moment to breathe before speaking again "I'm here for you John, Always" 

"I think I need to wash off in the shower, I'm a bit sweaty" he chuckles

"Okay, you grab something to change into, I'll go warm up the water" I kiss him on the cheek while I slip out of bed and head to the bathroom

I reach in the shower and turn the nozzle so the water can warm up before he gets here. I pull a towel out of our cabinet as John comes in wearing only a towel around his waist. Even as he just woke up, drenched in sweat, he still looks so handsome.

He wraps his strong arms around me and I lay my head on his chest  
"Stay with me?" he asks quietly.

The effect he has on me is much comparable to the effect a siren has on sailors at night. Mesmerized by him I undress and let him lead me into the warm water. We take turns rubbing each other down with soap in mutual adoration. Feeling his smooth skin under my hands feels so right. I look up into his eyes and kiss him slowly. It's a type of connection that I can't explain, wanting him so unbearably bad but not sexually this time. I want to know every part of him, his pain, his happiness, his fears, his past. I want to be his present and his future.

"You're the most amazing man I've ever met" he whispers to me as he pulls me in by my waist

I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hug him, letting the water pour over us, we stand there, both as content as ever.

When we're done, we dry off and get into bed in our boxers, John wraps himself around me as we fall asleep, I see the sun start to come up in the distance, I check the clock

6:30, I have to get up soon, but I don't care

Laying there with the love of my life wrapped around me, watching the sunrise was the most at peace I have ever been

(Angelica's POV)

I'm walking home from class with Alex, we met up for coffee before class so we could catch up on the last week.

I was absolutely ecstatic to hear he and John are officially together, John is like my little brother and Alex is turning into one of the best friends I've got. I asked him to spare me the details of that night, but it sounds like they're really connecting.

I was less ecstatic to hear he and Jefferson are kind of friends now. I just don't trust Thomas and I'm not sure I ever will. I had a class with him all last year and all I can say is he's slimy. When I told Alex how I felt about Jefferson, he said he'd be cautious but I'm still a tad bit worried

After that, we talked a little about the last week of my life. I've currently got two guys competing for a date with me, which is a bit annoying but not new. The only guys I hang out with regularly are Lafayette, Herc, Alex, and John because they're the only men I've ever met who don't hit on me. 

I would rather finish my studies and establish my career before getting married, and I don't see the point of dating if you're not planning to get married. I had one serious relationship when I was a sophomore in High school. His name was John, not turtle John, of course, but John Church. He was a sweet, loving young man and we were together for nearly a year before he had to move back to England to be with his mother who was sick. I was really upset when he left, and now I just don't see the point in putting myself through any more heartbreak if I'm not ready to get married.

That's all beside the point though. The two men trying to court me are fraternity members, so seriously not my type. I have higher standards than that.

"I've missed hanging out with you Alex," I say as we reach our dorms

"I have too" he hugs me, and we go our separate ways for the afternoon


	15. The Fair

(Alex's POV)

Waking up I notice John isn't in bed anymore, I glance at the clock

It's 10:00 am...

Oh, shit, it's 10, we're supposed to leave at 10:30, I was planning to wake up at 9 so I could pack John and I lunches and jackets and everything we need for the day.

"Goodmorning sunshine" John greats me from the other side of the room

"John, I'm so sorry I slept In. I meant to get up bu-" before I can finish my sentence, he hands me a cup of tea

"I turned off your alarm so it wouldn't wake you," he says happily

"John... I had a whole plan on how I was going to get ready and now it's all thrown off. Why...?" I ask more confused than irritated

"I wanted to get everything done for you so you could relax, you don't sleep all that much and I knew you had a list of what you were going to do on the bedside table, so I just did it for you" He responds sipping his own cup of tea

"John, you didn't have to that" 

"I wanted to. Now go get dressed and we'll head out. You can eat breakfast in the car" he smiles, slapping my ass playfully as I stand up. 

looks like someones in a good mood today, I think to myself as I get up and pull on the outfit I picked out last night, a black t-shirt, blue jeans, a maroon zip-up hoodie, and maroon converse. Casual, Comfortable, but still kinda cute.

John and I walk out to the car together. John's hand is in my left, and in my right is the breakfast sandwich he made me for the ride. We slip into the car together.

Last night Angie and Eliza drove to their parents' house so they could visit them and borrow their SUV, It's the only car big enough to fit all of us and we wanted to drive to the fair in one car. Peggy didn't go with them, she's still not ready to talk to her dad.

Angelica and I had a full debate session on where everyone should sit for the 2-hour drive out to the fairgrounds.

Herc is driving, he's the most reliable behind the wheel, Laf and Maria objectively have the best taste in music so Laf got shotgun and Maria is behind him in the second row. John and Peggy have the other two seats in the second row because they're on snack duty, they have a passion for snack food, so that makes sense. Finally, in the last row is Angelica, Eliza, and I. Angelica and I are polishing out our schedule so that we get to see everything there and Eliza's placement in the car didn't matter as much since her first aid duty is more important for when we get there.

"Everyone buckled in?" Herc asks

Everyone nods and we take off

The Road Trip Playlist

Jessie's Girl (Rick Springfield)

Drops of Jupiter (Train)

Defying Gravity (Wicked)

Stacy's Mom (Fountains of Wayne)

Sparks Fly (Taylor Swift)

Piano Man (Billy Joel)

Don't rain on my parade (Barbra Streisand)

Rocket Man (Elton John)

I did something bad (Taylor Swift)

Don't Stop Belivin' (Journey)

This is why we can't have nice things (Taylor Swift)

Carry on Wayward Son (Kansas)

Maybe this time (Liza Minnelli)

Castle on the Hill (Ed Sheeran)

Look what you made me do (Taylor Swift)

Uptown Girl (Billy Joel)

Life is a highway (Rascal Flatts)

Gives you hell (All-American Rejects)

Love story (Taylor Swift)

Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond)

Hey Mickey you're so fine (The Original Chin Chins)

Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood)

Any way you want to it (Franky Dee)

Popular (Wicked)

Alone (Glee Cast Version)

After two hours of Loud Singing, Laughing, some light Motion sickness, and a lot of snacks we have arrived.

In the duration of the car ride I found out Eliza, Angelica, and Laf Love show tunes, all of them love Classic Rock, Herc loves Taylor swift, Eliza and John are surprisingly good singers, and Peggy sounds like a dying duck when she sings.

Overall, 10/10 road trip

"You sure you're okay?" John asks me as he slings a backpack over his shoulder

"Yeah, I'm all good! Just not used to long car rides yet" I respond

On the way here I threw up in a bag, I'm definitely not used to long car rides yet. I've only been in America for two years and I don't spend a lot of time in cars, plus back in Nevis, there weren't a lot of places to drive so I rarely spent more than five minutes in a car. 

"I think I'll tRy deFYiNg gRaviTy" Eliza begins to sing again

"Elizzaa, the song is over" John pleads

As we enter the Gates of the fair, we each get stamps on our hands and a map of the fairgrounds

"Okay so let's go over duties" Angie announces standing on a spare bench "Eliza's on first aid, Johns got snacks, I'm in charge of the schedule, the rest of you just behave yourselves and don't get lost, I'm looking at you Herc. Sound good everybody?"

"Yes, can we go to the petting zoo now?" John asks with excitement

"Fine, let's go" she relents. Sometimes I think she likes planning these trips more than actually doing them.

While looking at the farm animals I learn that Maria has always wanted to move to the countryside where she can have pet llamas and that Herc is deathly afraid of chickens Apparently, I was the last to know about the chickens and everyone told me not to ask.

After the animal portion, we stopped to grab lunch.

"So as is tradition, we all pair off. each pair goes to a different vendor and gets something to bring back to the group. Then we all sit down and eat our potluck of gross fair food." John Explains as we walk up to a tent of food

"Okay, so what are we getting for this potluck?" I ask 

"We're on dessert duty so a lot of deep-fried Oreos and two elephant ears," He responds casually

"A what ear?" I ask, very much concerned

"Oh, um. Don't worry about it" he laughs

We all congregate around a picnic table and set out our food. It was really nice, getting to sit with my friends and talk about years past at the fair, and about our futures.

Like how John wants to take his future children to the fair, and Laf has already started designing his wedding dress even though he's not even engaged yet, and Eliza told us how she wanted to be proposed to at the pier someday. Just chatting about random things that we are looking forward to.

And for the first time in my life, I opened up about something I always thought was kind of embarrassing. I told them how excited I was to graduate college and start a life with someone. As I said "someone" I took John's hand under the table and squeezed it to give him assurance. I just didn't want to say start a life with John, because I was pretty sure Eliza and Herc were already on the verge of tears and I didn't want to push them over into sobbsville.

When we were finished, we walked around the community art and culture displays. Peggy piggyback carried Maria around the gallery, Eliza and Angelica were the only ones actually discussing the art as Eliza loves art and Angelicas loves overanalyzing everything, Herc and Laf stayed outside the gallery and slow danced to the music of a local band while they waited for us, and John and I walked slowly behind the rest swinging our linked hands.

"This is really nice," I say leaning my head on his shoulder

"What is?" he asks

"I've never felt so connected to a group of people before. I just love being around you guys... It's like finally having a family"

"I love you Alex" He whispers before kissing my forehead softly

When we reach the end of the gallery, we step outside to see there's a crowd of strangers forming a circle. We all make our way to the center of the crowd to see what's going on. To my absolute shock, we see Laf and Herc dancing in unison.

"is that...?" John starts

"It can't be" Angie exclaims

"It is!" Peggy laughs

Maria and I are even more confused now

"What's happening?" Maria asks, reading my mind

"In high school, Laf and Herc entered our Talent show with this routine, the crowd loved it so much, they got first place" Eliza explains excitedly

I turn to watch as Herc and Laf spin around chaotically dancing to the beat. Herc spins Laf and catches him in his arms just above the ground as the music ends. The crowd goes absolutely wild, whistling, and screaming. Laf and Herc take a final bow and motion for the rest of us to follow them out of the crowd.

"So, who's ready for amusement rides?" Herc asks pretending nothing had just happened.

As we all load onto the first ride the sun starts to set. I turn to John to tell him how beautiful the sunset is but before I can get the words out the ride drops and I scream bloody murder

We go on about three more rides before I throw up again.

"In Nevis, we didn't really have amusement rides so..." I pause to gag over the trash can "I just don't think I'm used to all this high-speed motion" I puke again

"Next time, we won't go on so many rides then" John chuckles while holding my hair back

"Okay, I'm feeling much better now" I shake out my limbs so I can reset "What's next?" I ask

"The last item on the list is the traditional Ferris wheel ride" Angelica answers

"Alex we can sit this one out if you need to. I'm pretty tired anyway" he says, obviously just giving me an excuse in case I don't want to go

"No way, it's the last one, I'll survive" I really want to make this day perfect for John. We walk over to the line for the Ferris wheel which is basically nonexistent since the fair is closing in a few minutes.  
We pair off to get in our seats

When John and I climb in I start to shiver. All the adrenaline from the rides has worn off and I'm starting to get chilly. I should have brought more than my lightweight zip-up

"Are you cold?" John asks, with all the vomiting and now this, he probably thinks I'm getting sick.

"No, I'm good" I say through gritted teeth

He rolls his eyes, slips off his jacket, and hands it to me. I smile and snuggle into him, resting my head on his chest

Everything in my life is perfect, I'm top of my class at my dream college, I finally have a family of my own, and I'm sitting with the man of my dreams looking across the cityscape of New York.

Nothing could take away this feeling of bliss

(I actually made the playlist if anyone was wondering😅 

If you want to find it, my username is Hamilgorl on Spotify and the playlist is called "Hamilton Road trip")


	16. The Very Exciting News

(Philip Schuyler's POV)

"Dear, she didn't come to visit us with her sisters. You may need to extend an olive branch" My wife is worried that with Thanksgiving coming up and Peggy still not speaking to us that I may need to reach out to her

"I was only trying to help her Cathy" I respond not wanting to consider that I could have pushed her away when I was just trying to protect her.

"I'm aware of that, but she doesn't see it that way. You are her father, which makes it your responsibility to mend this tear"

"Alright, when she arrives for thanksgiving, I will make amends" I can deal with that compromise

"At this point, it may be if she comes for thanksgiving" She speaks quietly

Every year since his wife passed we have had a big joint thanksgiving with henry Laurens. It's us, our daughters, Henry and his two sons James and John, and all of our extended family. We've never not had all our daughters there.

"On a lighter note, I heard that our favorite godson is bringing a boy home for the first time" She announces obviously excited for John, whos never so much as introduced us to a boy, and of course we know why...

"I'm happy for him but, does Henry know?" I ask, unable to ignore the obvious issue

"I'm not entirely sure" She responds biting her lip the way she always does when she's nervous

We have all known John is gay since he was young, but Henry pretends it's not so. I don't think it's appropriate to deny part of who your child is but maybe... possibly, this will change that.

"Either way, it's quite exciting, he'll be the first one to bring home a significant other" I try changing the subject

"Philip, your daughter is also bringing someone home," she tells me now avoiding my eyes

"Oh... she's bringing Maria... here?" I ask cautiously

"Philip. This is exciting news, act like it" she scolds me, raising a stern eyebrow at me

I suppose it's easier to watch other people's children grow up than my own. I mean Peggy is the youngest of the three yet she's the only one in a "serious" relationship.

"Of course, very exciting..." I smile half-heartedly

(John's POV)

"Ohhhhh Aleeeexxx" I sing to my boyfriend

Alex has been working ever since he got home 4 hours ago. I've been making myself busy, partially waiting for him to take a break, partially procrastinating asking him this question

"What's... Up?" he says without letting his eyes leave the screen of his laptop that he's typing on.

"Do you want to take a break?" I ask 

"Sure, I've got some time to talk " he pushes out his chair and stands up "Do you want to go get coffee... or maybe we could just stay here?" he says winking and pulling at the hem of my shirt

"Okay, I know that's what I meant yesterday but I actually have something to talk to you about today" I say, laughing at his excitement

"Awe, okay. What's up?" he asks mildly disappointed

"So, as you know, Thanksgiving is coming up," I start

"Yes, Americas favorite holiday to celebrate gluttony, and mass genocide... go on"

"Yes, well, every year since my mom passed away, the Schuyler's and my family have this Joint thanksgiving dinner. It's really nice to see everyone I love in one room... And I was wondering if you wanted to come with me this year" I ask trying to tamp down anyone hopeful tone in my voice in case he says no

"So... You want me to meet your family then...?" he asks with an unreadable expression

"Um, yeah I do" I respond nervously debating whether I should take it back or not

"Okay, I'd love to go" he agrees happily and asks "So, who will be there?"

"Well, my dad Henry, and my brother James, The Schuyler's Parents Catherine and Philip, all of the extended Schuyler family, and I believe Peggy asked Maria to come as well"

"But Laf and Herc aren't coming?" he asks

"Well, Herc has thanksgiving with his family, Laf and his sister, don't really celebrate Thanksgiving because there's only two of them so he spends it with Herc's family" I explain

"Okay cool, I cant wait to meet your family, John" he says kissing my cheek gently

"Now that we've got that out of the way... We can do that other thing now, if you're still interested" I add pulling him in by his shirt

He smiles, pushes me back onto the bed, and jumps on me, making me laugh


	17. The Parents

(Alex's POV)

With Thanksgiving fast approaching John has become a bit anxious. We still have an entire week before we leave, yet he has been frantically trying to figure out what outfit he should wear based on every situation that could possibly come up... and if I'm being honest, I think he is writing me a script for what I can say to his dad.

While I don't understand what it's like for your family to give you anxiety, I also don't understand what it's like to come out to your parents.

I often wish I had come out to my mom before she passed, but it never felt like an important topic of discussion. I knew she would accept me no matter what and so I was just waiting until I had serious feelings for someone to tell her. I never thought she would be gone before I'd have a chance to let her know.

"Hey, Alex... You alright?" Herc asks from behind me

"Yeah, I'm good" I speak softly as I wipe a tear from my eye "Thanks again for helping me, When it comes to this sort of thing, you have the best eye of anyone I know."

"Of course," Herc smiles as he sets down a box of candles

I asked him to help me set up some sort of a date night for John and me. I was thinking he would just help me set the table properly for dinner but then he brought over boxes of white sheets, pillows, and fairy lights. He suggested we set up a pillow fort, listen to music, and relax for the night.

"Laf just texted me they're on their way up" He announces with wide eyes

"Okay, go go go!" I say shooing him from the room. As he closes the door, I start lighting the candles he had brought over with him

"Okay Laf, Thanks for the LONG afternoon" I hear john say from outside the door

As the doorknob turns, I get a huge pit in my stomach. What if he doesn't like it? Maybe the candles are too much. Oh god, what have I done???

I blow out the candle in my hand as I see John's face appear in the doorway

"Oh... Alex" he starts

"I know I know, it's a lot, I was just trying to help you relax before thanksgiving and-"

John stops me mid-sentence "I love it Alex," He says as he kisses me softly "Almost as much as I love you"

Relieved, I set down my extinguished candle

"Did you really do all this by yourself?" He asks admiring the room.

"I had a little help..." I laugh a little as John realizes why Laf had so many things he needed to show him this afternoon

"Well, I'm starving, should we eat?" he asks

We sit down in the fort where I set up the food with Herc's help and dig in.

(Time Skip)

(Peggy's POV)

"Are you sure I even have to go? It's not too late to turn the car around" I beg

"Peggy, you have to spend Thanksgiving with your family. Nonnegotiable" Angie responds from the driver's seat

"Don't worry babe, parents love me" Maria says trying and failing to comfort me

"Okay, rule number one don't call me babe in front of them" I laugh nervously

"We're here" Angie calls out as we pull into the driveway

"Okay, take a deep breath. You've got this. He's your dad, and he loves you" Maria speaks to me softly, this time succeeding in comforting me

"Okay, let's do this" I say allowing myself to become determined

My sisters, Maria and I get out of the car and see our mother waiting at the door

"OH girls!!!" my mom yells as she runs to pull us into a hug

"Oh Angie, Oh Lizzie, and my dear Peggy, it has been too long" She goes down the line and hugs each of us individually until she reaches Maria...

I clench my teeth waiting to see what she'll say

"and you must be Maria. We are so happy you are joining us" she says pulling Maria into a hug

I release a very audible sigh, I'm so relieved that she likes her

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Schuyler, I heard you like tulips" she says handing my mom the bouquet I picked out

"How thoughtful, I love tulips. But you can call me Catherine" my mom smiles before turning back to my sisters "Your father is inside working on dinner, let's go" She motions for us to follow her

"Are those my daughters?" my dad exclaims from the kitchen

"Dad?" Eliza calls out

As he emerges from the other room my sisters envelop him in a big hug. He walks over to me in his pastel pink apron (our neighbors bought it for our mom but our dad does the cooking)

"Dad..." I start

"Oh, Peggy. It's so nice to see you" he says wrapping his arms around me the way he used to when I was a girl "and this must be Maria?" he asks shaking her hand "What a pleasure to have you here today Maria," he smiles, making me feel at home the way I did before our argument. Relieved to see that nothing had changed between us I begin to smile as my dad continues his trademark fast pace speech

"Now, who's helping me with dinner until John arrives?" All of us groan, the women of our house aren't very keen cooks

"I'd love to" Maria volunteers bravely

"Sounds good, come with me and I'll give you the kitchen tour."

I grab Maria's hand as she starts to walks away with my dad and whisper "You don't have to do this"

"Don't worry, I actually like cooking, remember?" As she disappears into the kitchen, I turn to my sisters and my mother

"She's going to die in there, isn't she?"

"Mhm" they all agree in a very amusing manner

I know Maria likes to cook but my dad REALLY likes to cook, he once faked a British accent and used a fake address to apply for a British baking competition. My dad is a pretty serious guy, with a goofy cooking obsession

"Come on girls, I'll grab you some drinks while we wait for everyone to show up," My mom says

John's POV

"Peggy texted," Alex tells me

Alex and I decided to take a separate car from the Schuyler's today in case one of us, namely Peggy or I, needs a getaway car without leaving everyone else stranded

"What does it say?" I ask

"I smell burning... so help me god if it's the pie" He reads

"I can't believe Maria agreed to help Philip cook thanksgiving dinner... for the last 10 years I have been the only one brave enough to do that" I laugh. Since I'm driving, I'm having Alex man the phone. I knew I'd be receiving about 100 texts from Peggy and others

"A text from Laf this time... OH MY GOSH" he gasps

"What??" I ask alarmed, but still keeping my eyes on the road

"Its a picture of Laf and Herc in matching turkey sweaters" He breaks out in hysterical laughter

"Awwwe, I wanna see" I whine

Alex's POV

"Holy shit," I utter as we pull into the Schuyler driveway 

"What's wrong" John asks

"That's the biggest fucking house I've ever seen" I say trying to pick my jaw up off the floor

"Oh, yeah it's pretty nice" he responds casually

"Yeah... nice" sometimes I forget that we come from completely different worlds

We walk up to the door together, I can tell John is nervous

"You got this... we got this" I whisper as I reach up to ring the doorbell. Less than a second later a spry looking woman comes to the door and gasps

"Cathy!" John exclaims as they hug

"I've missed you so dearly," she says squishing his face "And this must be Alexander, our godson in law"

"Well, we're not married, so not exactly. but maybe someday" He half whispers, making Mrs. Schuyler laugh

Did he just say...? I turn bright red

"Well it's lovely to meet you, Alex," she says embracing me in a hug the same way she had John

"Thank you" I say clumsily, not used to such affectionate people

As Catherine is leading us inside john kisses me on the cheek obviously happy that she approves

"You are the last ones to arrive. Everyone else is in here" she gestures to the living room door.  
John looks at me cautiously as we walk in holding hands.

Inside the room there's a lot of laughing and smiles... except for one older man who appears to be walking aver to us

"John... I've missed you," he says embracing john. This must be Henry, John's dad. From what I've heard, Henry is tolerant but not exactly accepting

"I didn't know you were bringing a friend" Henry says gesturing to me

"Oh, yeah. Dad, meet Alex, my boyfriend. Um Alex, this is my dad, Henry" John introduces us

"It's a pleasure to meet you" I stick out my hand for a handshake, trying to come across as confident and loyal, I really want him to like me

"The pleasure is all mine" He responds nodding his head, but not accepting my handshake

Shit.

"Did I hear John In there?" someone yells from the kitchen

"I'm coming Phil!" John calls back before turning to me "I have to go relieve some pressure from Maria, she's probably dying in there. Dad, you can give Alex the tour"

Then John disappears into the kitchen, leaving me to try and win over his father


	18. The Toast

Henry took me around the Schuyler house(More like Schuyler mansion) and told me about some of the brief histories behind the house. He was neither cold nor welcoming... I just can't get a clear read on him.

"Well, that's the inside of the house... But if I'm being honest the best part is outside, would you like to see?" he asks

And honestly, what can I say except "Yes"

He takes me out to the backyard where there is a large garden, and a few hundred acres of land, some of it in the open and some divulged in wood.

"During the spring when this garden blooms, it's a wonderful place to sit and clear your thoughts," he says solemnly

Without explanation, he leads me into the garden. Inside I see there is a small fountain that has been hidden by a dome of grapevine. He sits down on one of the cement benches looking towards the fountain and gestures for me to sit next to him.

After a few moments of silence that felt like an eternity, he asks me a question, "Are you and my son serious?"

"Well, I don't know if I can fully speak for john, but I am very serious about him" I respond truthfully

"That's good, that's good..." he trails off into another minute or two of silence until he speaks again "When I met Eleanor, John's mother, I was so madly in love with her, the way she smiled, her laugh, her charming freckles, the way she would sing things that weren't meant to be sung... I knew I loved her from our very first conversation, is that the feeling you hold for my son?"

"I haven't told your son this yet, but I intend to marry him... once we graduate college, that is" I answer

Henry sighs

I can't tell if it's in relief or disappointment

"When John was little, he asked for a dollhouse for Christmas. When he got it, he was over the moon with excitement and would play with it for hours every day. His family of dolls would always have two dads. Of course, Eleanor and I didn't care, we loved him so much, who he loves would never change that. We decided it would be best to let John come out to us on his own terms, but I think he always knew we were aware." he pauses for a moment as if to prepare himself for his next words "He officially came out to us a month before Eleanor passed away. After that he had such a hard time with her death, I just wanted life to be easy for him. I wanted to protect him from people who would make him feel ashamed for who he was. So, I pretended he had never come out, like I never knew that he was gay... I don't think I realized what I was doing until I saw the way he looked at you just now. I thought I was pushing down the part of him that would make his life harder, but I was just denying part of who he is"

Listening to him speak, I'm not sure what to say. Before now I had only heard him put maybe 10 words together which he did reluctantly. Hearing him speak freely is surprising, to say the least.

"I promise that every day I have with john, I will try to make his life easier and happier" I finally utter

"I'm glad you're here Alex" He responds wiping a single tear from his cheek

"Henry? Allleeeeex? Where are you guys?" I hear Peggy yelling from outside the garden. We both walk out to see what's going on

"Dinners ready," she announces and promptly runs back inside

As we walk through the back door the smells are overwhelming. I can distinctly smell the turkey, mashed potatoes, and something sweet like a pie, but the rest is a mystery. We sit down at the long table filled with Schuyler's and a few Laurens's as a frantic-looking Philip comes out from the kitchen carrying the biggest turkey I've ever seen, followed by John who is carrying a giant bowl of mashed potatoes, and Maria who looks the most disheveled pf all of them, carrying a plate of green bean casserole.

"As always, you can start filling your plates now, but we've got a few more dishes to bring out and no eating until we make the toast" Philip says as he slides the turkey carefully onto the table

They bring out at least 15 more plates of food before John's brother notices my shocked expression and explains that with so many people here, and so many different favorites, nothing can be left out, so they make every thanksgiving dish imaginable.

John brings out the last pie and sits down between me and his father. He's a little sweaty from the kitchen but still so handsome. I kiss him on the cheek discreetly as Philip stands up to make a toast "To family and to love"

"To family and to love" everyone repeats

"That's it?" I whisper to John curiously

"Not quite" he responds

Cathy stands up and wraps one arm around Philip and raises her glass "I'm grateful to have my lovely daughters' home from college for a few days" she says and then sits down with Philip

One by one every person stands up and says what they are thankful for, even the youngest children shared, which means I can't exempt myself from the tradition.

When it comes time for Henry's turn, he rises "I'm thankful every person in this room, old... and new" as he says the last words, he put his hand on my shoulder. He sits down gestures for my turn to begin

"Hi, I don't think I've been introduced to many of you yet but I'm Alex, I'm John's boyfriend and I'm really thankful to be participating in my first ever Thanksgiving and for my new family"

Once the whole table has gone, we immediately start eating. The food is absolutely outstanding.

After dinner, john ushers me around the room, introducing me to everyone he grew up with. I particularly enjoyed John's embarrassing childhood stories Catherine seemed to have stockpiled for me.

As the night starts to die down the older members of the Schuyler family say their goodbyes and head home. John and I say goodnight to everyone before heading upstairs where we are staying for the weekend

"So how was your talk with my dad?" he asks a nervous expression creeping across his face

"It went surprisingly well" I respond

"You don't have to sugar coat it for me, I know he can be a bit... cold, sometimes" He sighs as he flops on the end of the bed

"No, really, It was good. Things were a little awkward at first, but we had a really good discussion outside, he's a good guy" I assure him

"That is such a relief... ever since my mom died he's been less than supportive. I was afraid he would drive you away or something" John reveals

"I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, It would take a lot to drive me away at this point" i laugh as a flop onto the bed next to him.

I don't think I could have asked for this day to go any better


	19. The Soulmates

(Alex's POV)

After thanksgiving, most everything went smoothly. We went sledding, drank hot cocoa, and decorated cookies until it was Christmas. We spent winter break at the Laurens house, which was somehow even larger than the Schuyler house. After winter break, I found out I had a zero in the grade book which is basically impossible because every other assignment I've done has a 95% or higher. I talked to Washinton and went over what had happened, turns out when I let Jefferson turn in our project, he took my name off it. Obviously, I had all the rough drafts saved and was able to prove that it was my writing, but I never did get an explanation as to why he did it. Needless to say, we are no longer friendly with Jefferson.

In brighter news, John is coming home today!

He was selected for a two-week marine biology internship in Greece.

When he found out he was invited, he didn't tell me for a few weeks until one of his classmates told me on accident. When I asked him about it, he told me that he wasn't sure if he even wanted to go because we had only been together for a few months. He wanted to turn it down so that he could spend more time with me.

I told him we have a lifetime to be together and right now he needs to focus on himself and his career. I stand by what I said, but I didn't realize how hard it would be. Even with all the photos, he's been sending me, I still miss him. It feels like a death march waiting for him to return.

"Is that him???" Peggy exclaims

"OH MY GOD, it is!!!" I yell as I see John's face appear in the crowd.

I scream and jump into his arms

"I missed you so much John" I whisper

"I missed you too Alex" He responds

"My turn! My turn! Get off him, Alex!" Peggy squeals from behind me as she weasels her way between us to hug John

"Come on Peggy they haven't seen each other in two weeks, leave em alone for a sec" Angie scolds Peggy

"Ugh, finnne" Peggy whines

As hard as it's been on me, it's also been hard for Peggy. We bonded a lot over our shared love for John while he was away.

"It's alright" I laugh kissing johns' cheek

I'm just happy to have him home

(John's POV)

I'm so glad to finally be home with Alex...

But there's something I haven't told him

We're having dinner and I promised myself I would tell him tonight, so I guess it's now or never

"Are you alright John?" Alex reaches across the table to hold my hand

"Yeah, there's just this thing I feel I should tell you. like it's not a big deal, I just never want to keep anything from you or anything" I stutter through my sentence

"John, you're making me nervous, just tell me" he responds confused

"Okay, well we got split off into groups for this project and I was with a marine biology professor from Switzerland" I pause, unsure of how he'll respond to what I have to say next "We worked together for most of that week and apparently I impressed him enough that he wanted me to come finish my degree In Switzerland so that I can be his apprentice" I finish

"Wow... That's amazing... or is it terrible? I'm feeling a lot of feelings right now" Alex says, his eyes darting around the room

"It doesn't matter, I thanked him for the offer and told him I can't do it." Which is a lie, I told him I would think about it... I still have 24 hours to respond before he asks someone else.

Alex is quiet for a little too long, so I begin to speak

"I wasn't even sure I wanted to take the two-week internship, 3 years away from you is just completely out of the question. It's not what I want-" Alex interrupts me by putting his hand on my cheek

"You're scared," he says "I know that because when you're scared you start babbling" Why did I let him get to know me this well? It's impossible to hide things from him

"I wasn't silent because I was upset, I was just processing" He reminds me

"I know" I respond even though I can't help but remain scared that he might be upset.

"You have to go," he says matter of factly

"What?" I ask, completely shocked by his serious tone

"You have to go, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is your career, it what you're passionate about" he smiles lightly

"I cant Alex," I protest, tears welling up in my eyes

"Yes you can" as he responds I yank my hand away from him

"No. I cant. I said I can't. I'm not going" I yell

Immediately I see the pain in his eyes "John..." he says reaching out to me

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." my words become muffled by his sweatshirt as he pulls me into a hug. I allow him to comfort me for a few seconds before I pull away and wipe my eyes, trying to collect myself. "I'm scared that three years away from each other will be enough to change us. I'm scared that we'll forget what we have or that the feelings will die with that much separation"

"Have I ever told you how I feel about the idea of soulmates?" he asks casually tucking a piece of hair behind my ear 

"Alex, I'm trying to be serious," I say, tears returning to my eyes from the stress

"I don't believe in much that's not backed in science but soulmates makes sense to me. Two people destined to be together who no matter what strife or struggle they face always remain in love with each other" I begin to sob as he speaks, in part due to him ignoring my declaration of fear about us breaking up and in part due to his talk of soulmates, but all he does is wrap his arms around me and continue talking "John, I told your dad that I intend to marry you" I stop crying and look at him, once again shocked by his words "I believe we are soulmates, and if I'm correct, which I believe I am, no amount of time apart will be able to separate us."

Stunned, I remain silent. Allowing his arms and his words to make me feel small and safe. I have no idea how long we sat there though it felt like only a second before Alex spoke again.

"You're not babbling... I take it you're not so scared anymore?" 

Without answering his question I snuggle deeper into his arms, trying to savor the feeling, knowing that our days together for the next 3 years would be numbered.


	20. The Story of Tonight

3 Years Later...

(John's POV)

"You ready for this?" I whisper to Alex

He clutches his cap nervously before setting it on his head "I was born ready" He says seriously. He is such a dork

"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome your valedictorian, Alexander Hamilton" The headmaster gestures for Alex to take the stage

Peggy, Maria, Alex, and I are graduating today. 

It all feels completely surreal

Tomorrow Maria and Peggy are packing up to move just outside of New York where they bought a small cottage adjacent to a large farm. Last night Peggy and I stayed up a little too late talking about how we finally get to start our lives. She told me she just wants to get to their new home, so they can go for picnics along the creek and feed the animals together. They truly are lovely nutjobs.

Next month we are all attending Laf and Herc's wedding. I'm looking forward to the flare and drama that I'm sure Laf has put into the whole event, but I'm far more excited that Angelica is flying in for the wedding.

After she graduated two years ago, she reconnected with John Church, her high school sweetheart. Apparently, the connection was still just as strong and the second she could, she moved to London to be with him. They eloped without telling us (yes, I'm still mad about it) and now they both have the same passion for their work so they spend hours in the study working late into the night by each other's side. I'm happy for them

Eliza graduated last year and is teaching English just like she's always wanted... Oh and Herc and Laf asked her to surrogate for them, so she's 8 months pregnant.

As for Alex and I, I think things will turn out alright. Since I'm technically a foreign exchange student, I get to graduate alongside my friends back at Columbia and I convinced my professor to let me go a week early so could spend the week before graduation with Alex. Seeing him from across the airport I nearly screamed as I ran full speed, catching him in my arms before falling to the ground. Kissing him that day on the dirty airport floor, crying from excitement, it felt better than it ever had. And what Alex told me three years ago reined true, no amount of separation or loss of time could change us. While I was gone Alex found us a house that is equal distance from the University (since Alex still has to finish graduate school) and the Marine wildlife conservancy that I start work at next month.

I have the love of my life, my dream job, amazing friends, a great family... I don't know how I could ask for more...

"And finally, I'd like to thank John. My amazing boyfriend for supporting me through all my endeavors" Alex walks off stage after finishing his valedictorian speech but he's still holding the mic...

"You are the love of my life; I have never met someone who understands me the way you do. I can't imagine living without you"

He's starting to tear up as he approaches me

"John..." Alex kneels in front of me and I realize what's happening

"Would you make me the happiest man on earth and marry m-"

"YES" I start sobbing before he can finish the sentence

I fall to the ground to embrace him in my arms

I love this man more than I thought I'd ever get to love someone

"I love you so much" I kiss him sloppily, with tears of joy streaming down my face

(Later that night)

Alex and I decided to host the graduation party at our new house, I've only seen it over facetime but I trusted that Alex knew what he was doing when he said he found our dream house. And let me tell you, he most certainly did know what he was doing. It's an 18th-century style home, with 2 floors, the perfect size for a family of four (Alex, me, and our future children) with three spare rooms for the many guests that we will have staying with us in the future. One of which will be Angelica's room within a month which means Laf and Herc(who demanded we let them handle the decorating) have their work cut out for them.

Sitting on the porch swing looking over our new backyard, I feel calm as I watch the evening unfold.

A very pregnant Eliza is blowing bubbles for the children as they run around popping them. Herc is nervously watching, making sure she doesn't run out of breath, and Laf is trying to calm Herc down, Peggy is slow dancing with Philip who is sobbing over "how grown-up his baby is". Maria and Catherine are watching Philip and Peggy, while they laugh quietly. Every so often I see my dad leading an army of toddlers around the yard, I'm not entirely sure what they're doing yet I have a feeling I should be nervous about it.

But as I'm watching my family sprawled out on the grass each attending to their own activity, I can also see our lives spread out in front of us,

When I see Laf and Herc I see them bringing their new baby home for the first time, I see the excited look on their faces when they show us our finished house and all the novelty turtles they put on our shelves, I see their daughter running around with muddy hands attempting to destroy the house the way toddlers are so keen to do. I also see Herc's first clothing line take off and being worn by all the biggest stars, I see Laf being a stay-at-home dad, and starting a popular family blog.

I see Angelica's drive and determination making her the top civil rights lawyer in all of England, I see her coming home next month with a baby bump which of course makes everyone break down in tears of joy and I see John Church break dancing at Herc and Laf's wedding... It's only a little embarrassing. And lastly, I see Alex and Angelica starting a very exclusive two-person book club as an excuse to keep debating each other all the way across the sea.

I see Peggy and Maria becoming globetrotters, going on adventures everywhere that Peggy's work takes them. She paints the most famous and most rare places around the world and when she's done, her paintings go for big money at auctions. Once every two months or so they come back to New York to visit and each time, they bring our children gifts from around the world (Frances, our daughter, always says she wants to be just like her aunt). I see Peggy painting our nursery for us.

I see Eliza falling in love, getting married, and moving in next door to us. She has three kids who grow up playing with Frances and Philip(our children) so often that we install a gate in the fence our backyards share. I see Eliza becoming principal of the local middle school and making important changes to the way things are run, I see her campaigning to increase funding for schools and setting up programs that change kids' lives. I see her eyes glowing with excitement each time Angelica comes home for the holidays, and I see our children running around like a toddler tornado when reunited with their cousin, Angelica's only son.

I see my dad passing away before he gets to meet my children, but his memory living on through stories told by the people who loved him most. I see Philip and Catherine moving to New York to be closer to those of us who still live in the US, and taking on the role of the cool grandparents, a title Henry would have fought for.

I see Alex walking down the aisle in a sleek tux when we get married. I see Alex graduating, starting his own Law firm, and founding a charity that Aides the small islands in the Caribbean, just like he always wanted to. I see myself being offered multiple promotions in my field but choosing to stay where I am so I get to work with the animals one on one. I see Frances falling down and scraping her knee on the playground and I see Philip being the kindest big brother and taking care of her. I see our first family dog and Philip insisting we name it 'Old Peggy' which Peggy hates, of course, but Philip thinks it's a compliment so she pretends to love it for his sake.  
And I see Alex and I spending all our evenings on this porch swing with our family.

I rest my head on Alex's shoulder and watch the sun disappear behind the mountainous distance

"Alex, I think I'll be telling the story of tonight for a very long time" I whisper quietly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this, it's very bitter-sweet for it to be over. I hope you'll look out for my future works if you enjoyed this, I've got a few things I'm working on right now.  
> Best wishes,  
> E.M.


End file.
